“….[today] as Merkel met a group of 14- to 17-year-olds in the gymnasium of their school in the northern city of Rostock.
During the discussion, entitled “Good Life in Germany”, Reem, a Palestinian, told Merkel in fluent German that she and her family, who arrived in Rostock from a Lebanese refugee camp four years ago, are soon to face deportation.”
Merkel responded by saying she understood, but that “politics is sometimes hard. You’re right in front of me now and you’re an extremely sympathetic person. But you also know in the Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon are thousands and thousands and if we were to say you can all come … we just can’t manage it.”
Gut times.
Angela Merkel tells sobbing asylum seeker why she cannot stay in Germany (Guardian)
Thanks John Gallen
they need more living space, innit…
ha brilliant
Makes sense.
Germany take so so many, other countries are completely dragging their heels about this in the hopes it will go away. The UK can take more but won’t because they are scared of UKIP. Ireland could take more but its seems like such an awful system to be caught up in.
Also, those Jewish children that were rescued during WW2? Fat chance they would have had today and that is very sad.
Precious few were rescued ; most were turned away.
10,000 is better than none.
10,000? Do you mean the UK? Cause in Ireland, the number was more like 60. (The number gets a bit higher if you include Jewish people who we forced to convert to Catholicism in order to be allowed in, but like, that’s probably not a point in our favour…)
Yeah, I wouldn’t talk about that bit too much. The UK took 10, 000. Its was a quick wiki search, I’ll be honest!
+1
This is the reality.
However it is experiencing a labour shortage a the moment
greece takes in about 8,000 per week these days, mostly syrians and iraqis – 90,000 in the past few months. germany’s are mostly from the balkans, dumped at the side of the road by people smugglers. the crisis movement of vast numbers of people is at staggering levels all over europe and not just in germany. ironic though, that ze germans who are best resourced to take in refugees are the only ones making noises about deportations.
True but how many of those are staying in Greece? I don’t have an answer, I just find it all very depressing how lucky we are to be born where we were and when we were.
most are accommodated on the islands don. the UN have set up camps but over the last number of weeks they were facing huge problems getting local suppliers to provide food, shelter materials and clothing. sanitary conditions of course at breaking point.
http://www.unhcr.org/pages/49e48e726.html
and don, thank god we’re surrounded be wather
They would be housed in the UK if Cameron had the balls to accept them but he didn’t because he is a sweaty-faced spoon-brained Eton-fed Tory-licking f***er. The EU are completely washing their hands of Greece and Italy in this matter (and others!).
Humanity has died in Merkel…
Its like i can see Thatcher standing behind her in the shadows.
she was born without in the first instance
Merkel is a politician, not a charity.
I just long for a day when we are looked on as just humans and not caged in by notions of nationality….Im a dreamer
I love you
Thats very sweet.
You’re neither. You’re a little worker ant. Now, back to work! *cracks whip
Quick correction: she’s a *german* politician, not a charity…the other half of my family are german, they don’t sugar-coat it often.
In fairness Germany has quite a decent record in taking on refugees and asylum seekers. I can think of a few other European countries with a far less sympathetic approach.
Do Germany not take in the most amount of refuges in Europe?
I mean, I get its currently quite easy to blame Germany for everything but to try and kick a country about something who is actually do the most in Europe is a bit sad.
Yah, they take something like 170k a year, miles more than anyone else. I get it is hard for them, I just wish other countries would do their bit. How could someone look at any asylum seeker and say the equivalent of “Tough t**s, friend, off you go”?
If you preside over a system that will inevitably say to some people, “tough t**s, off you go”, the least you can do is have the good grace to say it to their faces.
True, I guess. Though we shouldn’t have that system. How can one person be worth saving and another not?
How could a country in recessionary times, even one that’s been performing well, take on the extra financial burden of an undefined number of refugees when they already have their own citizens to look after?
Should the citizens who fund a national government have their education, emergency and police services compromised in any way for refugees?
I get the brotherhood of man argument, I’m not going to deny that these are people with full rich lives that are hoping desperately to be saved, but national governments should put their people first. Germany takes in a lot of refugees, but they can only take so many, and are only willing to take so many.
At least Merkel has the balls to personally tell people this. Enda wouldn’t set foot in an asylum centre, let alone tell the refugees why they’re being trapped in a bureaucratic hell.
Even if it is a child?.Who’s parents might be trying hardest to let him down gently.
I meant it as a general policy point, but even in this specific case, it was a measured and honest response to a question, intelligently asked, by someone in her mid teens.
I hope I am never comforted by Merkel…
Der Der.
The highest number of first time asylum applicants in the first quarter of 2015 was registered by far in Germany (73 100 applicants, or 40% of total applicants in the EU), Hungary (32 800, or 18%), Italy (15 300, or 8%), France (14 800, or 8%) and Sweden (11 400, or 6%). These 5 Member States together account for 80% of all applicants in the EU-28 (Table 2).
Trends in number of asylum applicants vary from country to country in the first quarter of 2015. Germany (39 900 applicants more) continued to record increasing numbers of applicants, while Hungary (30 400 more) saw its number of asylum seekers to significantly increase with more than 13 times more compared to the same quarter of 2014.
http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/Asylum_quarterly_report#Main_destination_countries
That wasn’t meant to go there !
Merkels sees you’re suffering.
Merkel thinks you might feel better if you cut back on spending your disposable income and maybe sell and rent back your car and house.
Love, Merkel.
That reminds me of something a German said to me many years ago – “I don’t understand it. The Irish are obsessed with buying houses, but then you rent your televisions.”
Not too many rented televisions these days, though.
At the time a TV would have cost 8 or 9 weeks wages,
Not too many buying houses either !
Germany takes in the most refugees of any country in Europe. What Ms Merkel said is true. Why do we find it so unpalatable? Because it is direct and to the point? I’m sure we would have preferred a Bertie Ahern style waffle response. We could then feel better about ourselves.
Because she made a little girl cry, you robot.
She didn’t make her cry. She said there are limits to the amount you can take in.
So if you say 100 000, then you have to say No to the 100 001 person. Who may cry.
But the likes of you never put a number on the amount to let in because you haven’t
got the courage to do so.
Instead you preach at honest generous countries like Germany.
Well said Auldlass!
“honest generous countries like germany” – ha ha ha, love it. nice one.
i’m going to write that one down.
I do take the point Germany do their but why the callousness of more or less saying “fúçk off back to where you came from” more or less
germany do their bit alright. you know a good load of those refugee camps have subject to arson attacks and gunfire over the past while?
germans, they’re just no craic.
https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2014/12/17/ger2-d17.html
That will be the “xenophobic campaign by politicians and the media” for you then
Would you prefer her to offer them some bland waffle before turfing them out anyway? It may be harsh but at least she is being truthful. We demand that politicians do not lie then get offended when they tell the truth.
like poor Pat Rabbitte
Sugar plum fairy came and hit the streets
Looking for soul food and a place to eat
To be fair to her, she is explaining (fairly) honestly the political situation.
What would you rather she say?
It’s called being honest , something missing in a lot of people including many politicians.
Less. In fact, not at all.
http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2014/dec/02/sweden-oecds-highest-per-capita-asylum-seekers-syria
Die Reem Die
the reem, the?
Love how this is trending on twitter as ‘Merkel strokes’ which is surely the title of the least appealing sex tape of all time.
merkel -would you?
I’m afraid that politically, religiously and philosophically we are incompatible.
Plus you’d probably consider it cradle-snatching.
yeah, i knew you would
Yeah, but still though… Phwoar eh?!?
She is being honest. The left don’t like honesty…
Using the term “the left” as some kind of scathing commentary on modern society is a pretty excellent signifier of a complete trouser-sniffing custard muppet, though
‘trouser-sniffing custard muppet’ is a phrase of utter brilliance.
don’t go changin ;)
Insulting people who don’t agree with your world view is another signify of ‘The Left’
Oh wait lads, he’s capitalised it! He means business now!!
Using the term “the left” is not some kind of scathing commentary on modern society its a term to describe a bunch of fools who have their heads firmly up their own arses when it comes to immigration…
Wait, is that bunch of fools or “bunch of fools”
Thanks in advance,
Yours Dόn
Can’t deal with the subject at hand can ‘we’ don….
so if the left don’t like honesty, the right don’t like facts?
hand me more straw for the strawman, blueshirt.
What subject? Her being honest? Yes she is. But you jjust keep ranting about “The Left” like it’s some kind of secret club you got kicked out of and are still mad about.
She was being honest. Honest about what she believed was the case (Germany can’t take ye all, etc) at least.
To be fair, many Irish politicians would have mumbled something about “see me afterwards and we can discuss it”, “I’ll be speaking to Enda next week and will raise your situation…” or some such claptrap.
I don’t think that a penchant for honest truths is any more prevalent amongst ‘the right’ or ‘the left’.
Anyway, many of ‘the left’ are ambivalent about low-skilled immigration because it arguably undercuts the bargaining position of the current working classes.
I’m going to be lambasted for this but, why should any country take in anyone. Trafficking is going to keep happening if countries don’t start sending back everyone found illegally.
or, you could just eliminate national boundaries and allow everyone free right to move, travel and work anywhere in the world?
Yes of course, allow anybody in and out of any country. Because that would work. Honestly why do people keep using this stupid argument.
you’re not honestly suggesting that the protocols and policies that are currently in place are actually working, are you?
Pie in the sky !
Not pie in the sky at all, is it? We already live on a continent with few borders and right-to-work when we were hell-bent on killing each other a generation ago.
insert your fave lines from lennon’s ‘imagine’ here………..
This about asylum seekers, not immigration
…the Palestinian refugees in Lebanon like those in neighbouring countries such as Syria have been ethnically cleansed by the zionists. This started with the Nakba and continued in waves to the present day where another surge towards a final solution is being perpetrated.
Given a choice, Palestians would return and reclaim their land of Palestine.
Love your use of “final solution” – so balanced, measured and rhetoric conducive to a long-lasting settlement.
The land was taken from the Jews first, so what goes around comes back around.
What’s the German word for ’empathy’?
Kuegelschniffenzeit
Trouserschniffincustardmuppeten
…abschiebung
schadenfreude
What caught me on this one… and apologies for mentioning the war….
Palestinian child is a refugee in Germany because of a Jewish occupation of the child’s country which was brought about by a war started BY Germany.
That’s what I wanted to say.
I just couldn’t find a way that wouldn’t have gotten me banned from Broadsheet and hunted by the Stasi..
So thank you, John Gallen.
She’s right though, European countries can’t just allow everyone in. There is already enough and the rate they are breeding they will soon outnumber natives.
You mean Europe can’t allow any more people in, despite the fact that Europeans have contributed enormously to the turmoil in many of these refugees’ countries? Who are you kidding?! It’s an accident of birth to be born in any part of the world. We’re all equal in human dignity. The idea that people in need, including children innocent by any reckoning, would be turned away is callous and unethical. The rate they are breeding? I think you’re a xenophobe, maybe a racist. That’s sad.
Not a xenophobe or a racist just a realist. Look up stats of their breeding rate and you’ll see exactly how fast they are breeding.
There was already enough when your mother breed you, you ignorant sh*te
Look below ↓
We’ll done Angela Merkel! A BIG Brave woman stands up for common sense. NO! to anymore halakabalackas
. . . and halakabalackas suck . . .
. . . my bitch beagle’s behind (yum yum, poo)
“because we don’t want to bring all of you into such situations…because you’ve shown a lot of people what type of situation you can end up in”
She’s very manipulative there in how she’s comforting her..
Slow down there…
It wasn’t ‘Comforting’.
-It was a dismissal.
‘There’s too many of you so f off’ is no comfort to anyone, least of all a teenage girl.
Got to hand it to her. Honest. More than you’d get from most.
Merkel is one of our only truly great leaders
BS letting the old racism through there, nice one guys