Refugees and Right Wing on the Rise

Just a few hours ago, BBC published an article titled “Germany migrant shelter fire ‘cheered by onlookers’”. Unfortunately, the title is a straightforward and non-dramatized observation of an actual event that took place in Bautzen, Germany today (February 21, 2016). Believed by police to be arson, this fire destroyed a building that was being renovated to become a home for refugees in Germany. It was also reported that there was a crowd of German onlookers who cheered and attempted to prevent firefighters from doing their job. Last week a group of German protestors tried blocking a bus of refugees from arriving at the accommodation to which they were being sent.

Although this does not reflect a majority of German sentiment towards asylum seekers, those against granting asylum in Germany have steadily become more and more vocal in their feelings of resentment towards migrants. In addition to this, parties on the far right have been gaining popularity due to their anti- migration and immigration statements.

When visiting Germany’s Federal Office for Migration and Refugees website, one will likely stumble upon the section of information dedicated to asylum and refugee protection in Germany. In this section of the website, it is stated that:

“Political persecutees are afforded asylum in Germany in accordance with Article 16a of the Basic Law (GG) of the Federal Republic of Germany.

As in many other countries, the right to asylum is guaranteed in Germany not only on the basis of the obligation under international law arising from the Geneva Convention on Refugees of 1951, but also has constitutional status as a fundamental right.”

This, along with other information included on the webpage, lays Germany’s migration and refugee policy out as being pro-migration and pro-refugee. However, in many senses this is a de facto image rather than a reflection on society. There are many prejudices and stereotypes placed on the migrants and immigrants that arrive in Germany. For example, it is believed by many that migrants come to take advantage of the welfare system and contribute to crime rates. Since September 2015, he right-wing Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) has doubled its support while pro-migration PM Merkel has lost support. Even far-right wing party Pegida, whose attitudes regarding immigrants has been compared to that of Nazis, has recently seen support rallies.

It is not to say that there are no migrants or immigrants who will take advantage of the welfare system or participate in criminal activity, but is it enough to generalize and then penalize them all? There are arguments on every aspect of Europe’s migration crisis, however it is difficult to predict how we will be looking back at these chains of events in 10, 20, or 50 years from now. Many EU countries are struggling with holding to their previous migration policies due to the influx of asylum seekers arriving in the past year, and it will be impossible to please everyone, but decisive action needs to be made before extremist right wing parties and support groups are able to gain even more popularity than they already have.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-35625595

3 Responses to "Refugees and Right Wing on the Rise"

Petra Formankova says:

February 23, 2016 at 4:04 pm

Natalie, you just hit on the main issue about the current migrant crisis in Europe. As you imply, one cannot generalize and penalize all of the migrants.

In my opinion, it is important that Europeans realize that there are good people within the migrants who do need to seek shelter because their lives are not safe in their country and we should help them.

However, there are people who are trying to use the crisis to their own profit. There are criminals, people who feel only parasitize on the social security systems and there are mere economic migrants who only want to live better lives but they are not in danger at home. Moreover, there can be even terrorists among the migrants. But how do we distinguish these people from the ones that do need our help? That is the most difficult question. It is almost impossible.

We cannot let them all in, but we cannot refuse them all. Some of those people deserve help. We should indeed take a decisive action but how do we decide? The elites are facing pressure from their own people, the arson you are talking about is a great and awful example of how Europeans feel about the migrants. They are not only afraid of the criminals and terrorists but also of the Islam as such. They fear that Muslims will try to change Europe, its culture and values, rather than integrate peacefully. Will that be the case?

Why should only Europe face this problem? There are other wealthy countries that could help, some of them even much closer to the site of the conflict that generates most of these refugees.

The solution does not lie in Europe taking a decisive action towards migrants, it lies in the resolution of the Syrian conflict. But how should that be done? There are too many parties involved with different interests, and a quick settlement is out of sight. So how do we treat the migrants in the meantime?
Nicholas La Branche says:

February 23, 2016 at 4:27 pm

Natalie’s post identifies a major issue that Germany, Europe as well as the entire global community should not ignore. Whether or not the events that took place in Bautzen prove to be accurate (which multiple news organizations have reported to be true) it is clear that the German populace may be undergoing a major shift in sentiment. In recent years there has been an influx in immigrants and in refugees seeking asylum in Europe and particularly in Germany. Over the past 12 months nearly 1.5 million refugees from North Africa and the Middle East have entered Germany. Although it is hard to identify a singular reason for the rapid increase in migration many have argued, such as German Chancellor, Angela Merkel that rise in migrants from the Middle East is directly the result of suffering inflicted by Russian bombings in Syria. Although parties with “anti-refugee” and “anti-migration” platforms have previously gained popularity in other states within Europe, German political party platforms have remained relatively unchanged in their post-war traditions of “pro-migration” and “pro-refugee” policies.

Even though, (as Natalie makes note of), the right of asylum has been guaranteed under international law since 1951 as well as seen as a fundamental right in German domestic law, and no major party currently in power in Germany has anti-refugee and anti-migration policies, it is clear that due largely to rising fear and social prejudices many refugees’ have had their rights violated. Aside from the most recent events in Bautzen and other physical abuses, weekly protests and other demonstrations have highlighted a scary negative shift in sentiment towards Middle Easterners migrants in particular. It is not fair to say that all German’s share or represent this changing sentiment, however, recent public opinion polls have shown that more than 60% of the German public are fearful that they cannot cope with large influx of migrants, nearly 42% believe that “their cultural values are under threat” and 56% of respondents identified as being dissatisfied with Merkel’s refugees policies. Although this changing sentiment has been noted, Merkel and the German parliament have remained relatively steady in policy supporting refugees. Due to what some Germans might refer to as the “ineffectiveness” of the state in dealing with the migration crisis, many Germans (as seen in Bautzen) have begun to dangerously deal with issues in their own oppressive ways. I believe that events such as the one in Bautzen show that although policy may be in place with the intention to guarantee the fundamental rights of refugees–often social activities and structures prevent integration and in turn only worsen problems. This is scary to think about.

What is most worrisome about this situation is the flacking support of more centrist parties such as Merkel’s Christian Democrats and the recent rise of far right political parties such as the Alternative for Germany party. The AfG represent the anti-migration and anti-refugee sentiment that many fearful Germans currently hold. If the popularity of far right parties such as AfG continue to rise it is safe to assume that a German anti-refugee policy may soon follow suit. In order to prevent the political power of far right parties such as the AfG in Germany, a global response is needed. Currently, Germany is unable or is largely fearful that they are unable to deal with the recent influx of migrants. Due to this pressure, sentiment shifts have begun to reach dangerous levels. The right to asylum is an international law that has been well established and thus must be protected. Every law-abiding refugee in Germany should be granted these rights, however, Germany should not bear all of the weight. Other states, particularly in Europe must be involved in economically, politically and socially help better welcome, integrate and liberate refugees in need.
Sarah Iversen says:

April 29, 2016 at 8:18 pm

This definitely a very pressing issue and a great topic! What is perhaps most alarming is the sudden shift in public opinion about the refugees. In December 46% thought that Merkel was not handling the crisis well, now the majority of Germans think that Merkel is not handling the crisis well. I thought I’d just showcase some of the reasons why the general public is turning against the refugees. By far the largest concern they face is a spike in crime. This fear could be attributed to the sexual assaults that occurred on New Year’s Eve. In addition, 42% of Germans are concerned that their culture will diminish as a result of these immigrants. This jumped from 33% in October. What is worrying is how political leaders will continue to react these growing concerns. While right now far right politicians are being pushed aside, as continued public support falters the threat right extremists pose worsens.

http://www.dw.com/en/poll-germans-increasingly-skeptical-of-refugees/a-18982943

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