Global Political and Social Awareness - Germany's Refugee Crisis
German Chancellor Angela Merkel is one of the most successful stateswomen the world has ever seen. Germany is a member of many international government bodies such as the EU, NATO, WTO to name a few, which makes her office highly attractive. Under her leadership, domestic political stability and low federal debt have been envious to many countries in Europe and abroad. Sadly, the Chancellor will also be known for her recklessness and ignorance in light of the refugee crisis in Germany.
Europe has always been the ideal location for refugees and asylum seekers for decades. Italy and Spain have been picking up migrants from Africa and Asia on a regular basis annually. To them, it's nothing new. But one event has accelerated the trend to new untold heights. The Arab Spring in 2011 and beyond, broke out due to intense dissatisfaction against government leaders of respective nations in the Arab world. In Egypt, the military backed by popular support, overthrew President Mohamed Morsi in a coup, due to his leanings to the Muslim Brotherhood. Later on, long-time Libyan dictator, politician, and political theorist Muammar al-Gaddafi was ousted and killed. But the most infamous conflict arose in Syria, in which President Bashar al-Assad maintained a ruthless stronghold on his power to this very day. In his struggle, millions of Syrians were displaced and forced to flee. Over 110,000 people were killed so far. Those who survived became refugees in search for a new home. Many of them have ventured to unknown countries to rebuild their lives. One of the most generous host countries turned out to be Germany.
I understand the need to open up countries to house refugees, especially families who lost everything in a bloody and relentless conflict at home. Among them are also economic migrants and ones who are only interested in benefiting themselves. The most troubling statistic is the entry of nefarious and controversial people, most notably, terrorists and radicals. They'll take advantage of global conflicts and the generosity of nations who are willing to accept migrants and refugees and seep in. The only way to mitigate the flow is to control it. In this sense, Merkel made the biggest mistake by not installing any control of inflow at all. She welcomed everyone with open arms without vetting them first. Such an act is extremely irresponsible and a threat to law-abiding people living in the country in peace.
There are consequences to every decision, and Merkel's standpoint is definitely no exception. Around 800,000 migrants fled to Germany and remained. The gargantuan number burdens the system extensively and causes discord among the officials and citizens. Rising tensions among the populace causes racism and violence to spread. Distrust in officials and the federal government as a whole can be results of a poorly executed plan. These situations have already occurred in Germany. Right-wing radical groups have grown in influence and used the crisis to expand their network. The most well-known group to have formed is the AfD (Alternative für Deutschland). Like any hard right-wing political parties in Europe like the Front National in France, and the Party for Freedom in the Netherlands, the AfD uses immigration and migration as a central talking point in their debates. By having a federal platform, radical nationalists in affected countries will have a bigger voice to express their racial beliefs and vitriol. Empowering controversial figures is the last thing a country needs.
The problem goes back to Merkel's terrible inaction. By allowing hundreds of thousands of migrants to overrun Germany, it turned the country into a stepping stone to other neighboring nations. Poland shut down its borders and refuses to allow any migrant in. In fact, the continental issue has caused a huge nationalist uprising in Poland. Cases of racism were reported in different parts of the country. After allowing many migrants to receive accommodation within its borders, Sweden ordered a stop as well.
It's important to note that Germany hasn't reported many serious crimes stemming from a mass influx of refugees. There has been occasional sexual offences perpetrated by asylum seekers like in other countries with the same issue. Germany and other countries like it can only learn from the mistakes and use them as lessons for the future.
Europe has always been the ideal location for refugees and asylum seekers for decades. Italy and Spain have been picking up migrants from Africa and Asia on a regular basis annually. To them, it's nothing new. But one event has accelerated the trend to new untold heights. The Arab Spring in 2011 and beyond, broke out due to intense dissatisfaction against government leaders of respective nations in the Arab world. In Egypt, the military backed by popular support, overthrew President Mohamed Morsi in a coup, due to his leanings to the Muslim Brotherhood. Later on, long-time Libyan dictator, politician, and political theorist Muammar al-Gaddafi was ousted and killed. But the most infamous conflict arose in Syria, in which President Bashar al-Assad maintained a ruthless stronghold on his power to this very day. In his struggle, millions of Syrians were displaced and forced to flee. Over 110,000 people were killed so far. Those who survived became refugees in search for a new home. Many of them have ventured to unknown countries to rebuild their lives. One of the most generous host countries turned out to be Germany.
I understand the need to open up countries to house refugees, especially families who lost everything in a bloody and relentless conflict at home. Among them are also economic migrants and ones who are only interested in benefiting themselves. The most troubling statistic is the entry of nefarious and controversial people, most notably, terrorists and radicals. They'll take advantage of global conflicts and the generosity of nations who are willing to accept migrants and refugees and seep in. The only way to mitigate the flow is to control it. In this sense, Merkel made the biggest mistake by not installing any control of inflow at all. She welcomed everyone with open arms without vetting them first. Such an act is extremely irresponsible and a threat to law-abiding people living in the country in peace.
There are consequences to every decision, and Merkel's standpoint is definitely no exception. Around 800,000 migrants fled to Germany and remained. The gargantuan number burdens the system extensively and causes discord among the officials and citizens. Rising tensions among the populace causes racism and violence to spread. Distrust in officials and the federal government as a whole can be results of a poorly executed plan. These situations have already occurred in Germany. Right-wing radical groups have grown in influence and used the crisis to expand their network. The most well-known group to have formed is the AfD (Alternative für Deutschland). Like any hard right-wing political parties in Europe like the Front National in France, and the Party for Freedom in the Netherlands, the AfD uses immigration and migration as a central talking point in their debates. By having a federal platform, radical nationalists in affected countries will have a bigger voice to express their racial beliefs and vitriol. Empowering controversial figures is the last thing a country needs.
The problem goes back to Merkel's terrible inaction. By allowing hundreds of thousands of migrants to overrun Germany, it turned the country into a stepping stone to other neighboring nations. Poland shut down its borders and refuses to allow any migrant in. In fact, the continental issue has caused a huge nationalist uprising in Poland. Cases of racism were reported in different parts of the country. After allowing many migrants to receive accommodation within its borders, Sweden ordered a stop as well.
It's important to note that Germany hasn't reported many serious crimes stemming from a mass influx of refugees. There has been occasional sexual offences perpetrated by asylum seekers like in other countries with the same issue. Germany and other countries like it can only learn from the mistakes and use them as lessons for the future.
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