Achim Steiner: "The World Won’t Improve on Its Own" | DW English

"We are living in a political moment in which nationalism, protectionism, and withdrawal have become a great temptation," says the head of the United Nations Development Programme, Achim Steiner. On DW Interview, he praised Germany’s role in the refugee crisis.

'The Refugee Crisis Was for Europe What 9/11 Was for the United States'

'Huge Failure' on Refugee Crisis Is 'Existential Problem for EU'

Sam Harris & Douglas Murray Explain the Refugee Crisis

Erdoğan Threatens to ‘Open Border Gates’ to Allow Migrants to Flow into EU

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has warned that his government will open its border gates to allow migrants to flow into Europe if it is pushed any further by the EU. It comes after lawmakers in the bloc voted to halt membership talks with Ankara.

Erdoğan Threatens EU with New Refugee Surge

Turkey's President says he'll open the border for refugees to flood into Europe, if the European Union continues to threaten his country.

Nazi Language Becoming Increasingly Common in Germany's Discussion of Refugee Crisis, Researchers Say

THE INDEPENDENT: Rise in use of Nazi phrases comes amid unprecended growth in number of attacks on asylum seekers and refugee accommodation

Following the conclusion of World War II, Germany embarked on an initiative to rid their society, culture and politics of any remains of Adolf Hitler's Nazi ideology.

However, researchers have said words belonging to the years of the Third Reich are increasingly being used by German politicians and members of the public to criticise their government's response to the refugee crisis.

The increase in the use of Nazi terminology comes amid an unprecedented rise in the number of attacks on asylum seekers and refugee accommodation. » | Samuel Osborne | tuesday, November 22, 2016

How Can President-elect Trump Help Change the World?

Nov. 15, 2016 - 7:30 - On 'Hannity,' Nigel Farage and Dr. Sebastian Gorka on how Trump should tackle the refugee crisis, terror threats

Refugee Crisis Tops Agenda at EU Summit

European Union leaders have gathered in Slovakia's capital Bratislava for a summit that some have described as a crisis meeting.

The gathering was called by the Slovak government following the UK's Brexit vote to leave the EU.

Central European countries have taken the opportunity to raise objections to a plan to force them to house asylum seekers and refugees against their wishes.

Al Jazeera's Laurence Lee reports from Bratislava.

Inside Story - Who's to Blame for the Worsening Refugee Crisis?

Austria: Anti-refugee Protest Leads to Injuries and Arrests

Merkel at Risk: Germans Rebel against Chancellor’s Party over ‘Refugee Love’

The migrant crisis is taking its toll on the German Chancellor Merkel. Local population's' mood is 'worse than ever'. There's even talk of a revolt within the ruling coalition. Bavarian lawmakers are preparing a formal letter of protest to limit the immigration for the sake of solidarity among the population.

‘Merkel Is Dependent on Erdogan in Solving EU Refugee Crisis’

Reports emerged in the German media alleging that police were instructed to hush up refugee-related disturbances...RT is now joined live by professor Christian Pfeiffer, a former Minister of Justice of the German state of Lower Saxony.

German Teachers Union Warns Girls to Stay Away from Refugee Men

DEUTSCHE WELLE: A teachers group in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt has garnered criticism after saying girls should be encouraged to stay away from male - often Muslim - refugees. Politicians have accused the group of fear-mongering.

"An immigrant invasion is spilling over in Germany," said an article in a recent teachers union magazine, which went on to recommend girls stay away from "often attractive Muslim men."

The statement from the "Journal of the Philologists' Association of Saxony-Anhalt" that young women should be dissuaded from relationships with Muslims drew ire from state politicians on Saturday.

According to a report by German daily "Mitteldeutsche Zeitung," the original article by the teachers group, signed by leaders Jürgen Mannke and Iris Seltmann-Kuke, told instructors to warn their students of the risk of being molested by refugees and to resist the temptation to engage in "a superficial sexual adventure with the often attractive Muslim men."

The newspaper also reported that the article alleges that these "young, strong, mostly Muslim … often uneducated men" are entering the country "under dubious pretenses." Mannke and Seltmann-Kuke then go on to describe how innocent conversations in public transportation and in supermarkets can lead to sexual assault. » | Elizabeth Schumacher | Saturday, November 7, 2015

The Lonely Chancellor: Merkel Under Fire as Refugee Crisis Worsens

SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: Until recently, German Chancellor Angela Merkel was considered to be the most powerful politician in Europe. But now, her approach to the refugee crisis has her under fire at home and in Brussels. Can she survive? By SPIEGEL Staff

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The government, in short, has lost control. And Germany is in a state of emergency.

Merkel can still rely on a large number of supporters within her own party. But each day that thousands of refugees cross into Germany, the certainty that such support is sustainable erodes a bit further. Not long ago, Merkel was considered the strongest political leader in Europe, one whose term in office could only come to an end were she to decide herself against running for reelection in 2017. Now, both foreign and domestic media outlets are wondering aloud whether she will run into serious trouble before Christmas, or shortly thereafter. "The end of the Merkel era is within sight," the Financial Times wrote a week ago.

Merkel's historic decision to open Germany's borders to refugees stuck in Hungary was morally unassailable. But politically, it has put her on the defensive. Now, in order to tighten up Europe's external borders, she is dependent on the help of erstwhile opponents such as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras.

In the EU, meanwhile, her maxim that Europe should not get back into the business of building border fences is being openly questioned. Austrian Interior Minister Johanna Mikl-Leitner, for example, announced last week that her country was being forced to build additional security facilities because the "inflow" from Slovenia was larger than the "outflow" into Germany.

There is no shortage of schadenfreude these days when European politicians speak about the German chancellor. The true ruler of Europe, who forced her austerity policies upon the entire Continent, must now come begging for help in dealing with the refugee crisis, people in Brussels are saying.

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Read the whole article here | Melanie Amann, Matthias Bartsch, Jan Friedmann, Konstantin von Hammerstein, Björn Hengst, Horand Knaup, Ralf Neukirch, Michael Sauga and Steffen Winter | Monday, November 2, 2015

Germany: Merkel and Seehofer Reach Refugee Deal, Gabriel Walks Out - Reports

German Chancellor Angela Merkel met with Vice Chancellor and SPD Chairman Sigmar Gabriel, Bavarian Minister-President Horst Seehofer and Chief of Staff of the German Chancellery and Federal Minister for Special Affairs Peter Altmeier at the chancellory in Berlin, Sunday, for an emergency summit of the grand coalition to talk about the refugee crisis. The meeting started at 9am local time (8am GMT).

Europe's Mounting Refugee Problem

A summary of facts and considerations with regards to the refugee crisis.

Warnings over Resurgence of German Far-Right Movement Pegida Sparked by Refugee Crisis

THE TELEGRAPH: The anti-immigration movement held its biggest rally in months in Dresden with up to 20,000 people attending


Fears are growing in Germany of a far-Right resurgence stoked by the refugee crisis, after nearly 20,000 took to the streets of Dresden in the biggest rally by the Pegida anti-immigrant movement for months.

Martin Schulz, the German president of the European parliament, warned of the potential for “far-Right violence and brutality” while Sigmar Gabriel, the German vice-Chancellor, accused Pegida’s leaders of using the “battle rhetoric” of the early Nazi party.

The charge came as one of the speakers at a massive Pegida rally in Dresden spoke of regret that “the concentration camps are out of action”.

Between 15,000 and 20,000 people took part in a demonstration to mark the first anniversary of Pegida’s founding on Monday, according to police. » | Justin Huggler, Berlin | Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Merkel's Dilemma as Germany Frets over Refugees

THE TELEGRAPH: Even those who supported Angela Merkel's decision to welcome hundreds of thousands of refugees last month are starting to worry that Germany cannot cope

Hundreds of people are huddled outside Berlin’s main government office for asylum-seekers in the pouring rain. Some have soaking sleeping bags wrapped around them against the cold, others stand shivering in thin plastic ponchos; they are all waiting to be registered as refugees.

They come every day to wait. Some arrive as early as 4am and stay until after dark, only to leave empty-handed. There are Syrians, Afghans, Iraqis. Until they are registered, they are homeless in the heart of Europe’s richest country. Many have been waiting for weeks.

The German authorities are overwhelmed, and simply cannot keep up with the thousands arriving every day.

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In Germany, her personal approval ratings have fallen to their lowest level since 2011, and her Christian Democrat party is sinking fast in the polls.

At a meeting with her own party activists in Germany last week, Mrs Merkel was told bluntly she “should be ashamed” and was a “failure as a government leader”. One activist turned up with a banner that read “Dethrone Merkel”.

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Read the whole article » | Justin Huggler in Berlin and Peter Foster, Europe Editor | Saturday, October 17, 2015

Hungary Plunges Europe into Further Chaos with SECOND Border Closure with Croatia

EXPRESS: HUNGARY will tonight permanently close its border with Croatia, plunging Europe into further turmoil.

A four-metre high razor-wire fence has been erected along Hungary's southern border with Croatia over recent weeks as the country continues its crackdown on the migrants entering en route to Germany and northern Europe.

Officials had said the frontier would remain open if European Union (EU) leaders could agree on a scheme to send security forces to Greece to stem the flow of migrants and refugees.

But the Hungarian foreign minister announced today that the fence would close at midnight local time (10pm BST). » | Tom Batchelor and Agnes Kegl | Friday, October 16, 2015