Merkel in dialogue: Ten years after the refugee crisis – a look back!

Merkel in dialogue: Ten years after the refugee crisis – a look back!

On Monday, June 30th, a surprising conversation with former Chancellor Angela Merkel will be published in the ARD media library. The format entitled “10 years later: Refugees in conversation with Angela Merkel” addresses the refugee movement of 2015 and includes conversations with five migrants from Syria, Afghanistan and Iran. Among them is a student who lived in church asylum with her family, as well as a young couple who encountered ongoing protests when they arrived in Clausnitz in 2016. These conversations, which were recorded on June 26th in a Syrian restaurant in Berlin, are intended not only to shed light on the experiences of the refugees, but also to raise current questions about integration and family reunification. As Radio Herford reports, this format could reignite old debates.

Why was the refugee crisis of 2015 so influential? Angela Merkel, who became a symbol of welcoming politics during this period, has very positive comments on this. Over 1 million asylum seekers came to Germany at that time, and Merkel had always emphasized that Germany was capable of dealing with this influx. However, critics were concerned that Germany could be overwhelmed. In an interview with Deutsche Welle, she explained that the refugee situation is not a crisis, but a humanitarian issue. Merkel recalled the support of many people in Germany, including mayors and volunteers who achieved great things.

Outlook on the past

The situation wasn't always easy. The incidents during the New Year's Eve celebrations in Cologne in 2016, in which women were harassed by migrants, particularly cast a shadow on the welcoming culture. Merkel acknowledged that not everything was going ideally and that there were serious problems that needed to be addressed. A retrospective look at refugee policy reveals that public opinion is strongly divided. According to a survey, 60% of Germans believe the country can meet the challenge, while 40% remain skeptical. These concerns could be exacerbated by the slow progress in integrating immigrants into the labor market, where just under half of those arriving since 2013 have found work..

Merkel noted that the causes of migration remain unresolved and the EU has not established a uniform system in this area. Despite this challenge, however, positive examples of successful integration were cited, particularly the school qualifications of many migrants.

Politics and opinions

Political opinions on the subject of refugee policy vary widely. Politicians like Irene Mihalic from the Greens emphasize that it is right not to close the borders, while Lars Castellucci from the SPD criticizes that the lack of involvement of European partners was a mistake. The AfD, which benefited politically from dissatisfaction over refugee policy, is in a sharper light..

Some former politicians, including Thomas de Maizière, note that Germany handled the crisis well, while others, such as Horst Seehofer, described the situation in 2015 as a “reign of injustice.” Merkel herself has repeatedly advocated that a situation like that of 2015 should not be allowed to happen again. Even if the number of asylum seekers is falling from 2016, the challenge of returning rejected asylum seekers to their home countries remains.

The discussions surrounding Merkel's refugee policy and the positive and negative experiences of recent years will certainly be taken up again by her upcoming television event and could provide important impulses for the future. WDR points out that these conversations could trigger new debates and that society remains divided on migration policy, underlining the ongoing relevance of this issue.