Merkel shifts positions after Cologne sex attacks shake German public

By Cui Hongjian Source:Global Times Published: 2016-1-13 0:03:15

German Chancellor Angela Merkel's recent decision over backing tighter rules to expel convicted refugees was not that unexpected, while the aftershocks of Cologne's New Year's Eve assaults were spreading. The only surprise is perhaps that it has taken a bit longer than expected. For Merkel, who has been firm on welcoming asylum seekers, this is hardly a major change. But since she has been holding on to her previous policy for so long, even under great pressure, any big adjustment of moving backward will indicate Merkel's acknowledgement that she was wrong in the first place.

According to the latest report over Cologne's attacks, 22 of 32 suspects were asylum seekers, while many stolen phones were located inside or near refugee centers. As countrywide anger grows, Merkel is now separating convicted migrants from the far greater number of innocent ones, saying that when "people place themselves outside the law, there must be consequences," while underlying that "we owe it to all the innocent refugees who are fleeing from war and terrorism."

As a matter of fact, however, the tougher migrant law is a sign that Merkel's open-door refugee policy has failed, even though she has not and will not admit this. Cologne's mass attack has given the anti-refugee forces a good excuse to oppose Merkel's welcoming stance towards refugees.

The rise of Pegida (Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the West), an anti-immigration right-wing movement, was a clear example. It was dwindling, but after Cologne assaults, a number of protests against refugees, and even against Merkel, were organized by a revitalized Pegida.

In addition, after Germany started to open its borders for large influx of migrants, attacks on the refugee camps have never stopped. Many of the attackers were young people with no criminal record.

It shows that all kinds of extremism, including the infamous neo-Nazism, in the country might not develop in a visible organization, but as the spread of an ideology.

This is the most frightening part. A tangible group of this kind can be cracked down on by policy or the police. But if the mentality spreads it will be a real threat. In such a scenario, the priority for not only Germany, but also the entire Europe for now is to control the refugee crisis and reduce the number of incoming asylum seekers. That's why an increasing number of EU members are asking for an upper limit on the refugee influx. Merkel has never given way on the issue so far. However, if something big happens after the Cologne incident, Berlin will be highly likely to set a quota for itself, maybe not publicly, but surely within its administration.

Europe also needs to seek a solution under the framework of the EU, and adopt joint measures in the field of internal security and judicial cooperation, such as sharing refugee information. It must also maintain its borders open within the EU in order to keep an ordered flow of migrants to avoid security issues that could be triggered by stranded asylum seekers.

In the meantime, negotiations with countries in the Middle East and North Africa, the major source of the current refugees, are also necessary. Safeguarding the peace and stability of surrounding areas is one of the vital prerequisites for bringing the entire refugee crisis under control.

The author is director of the Department of European Studies, China Institute of International Studies. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn

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