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WORLD NEWSMonday 18 January 2016

Merkel’s migrant troubles flare but chancellor stands firm

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has her picture taken with refugees at a reception center for posed legislation to make behind her stance a month
asylum seekers, in Berlin, Germany. Chancellor Angela Merkel’s migrant troubles have reignited it easier to deport criminal ago, heading off calls for
in the new year, with an outcry over assaults in Cologne blamed on foreigners. foreigners. a cap by conceding that
On the refugee influx itself, an unabated influx would
(Bernd von Jutrczenka/dpa via AP) however, Merkel is standing “overburden” the country
firm — sticking to her much- in the long run.
GEIR MOULSON sexual assaults on New litical support for Merkel’s criticized mantra that “we But after a few weeks’
Associated Press Year’s Eve in Cologne — will manage it.” peace, her allies in the
BERLIN (AP) — Chancellor and the fact that some of conservatives is down only The woman chosen as Bavaria-based Christian
Angela Merkel’s migrant the suspects were asylum- Time’s person of the year Social Union — her most
troubles have reignited in seekers — have highlighted slightly. While Germany insists that the solution is prominent domestic crit-
the new year but the Ger- the difficulty of integrating not to unilaterally close ics over recent months
man leader is sticking to so many newcomers. With doesn’t hold a national borders, but to work with — renewed their drive for
her guns, insisting her coun- pressure mounting for the reluctant European part- tougher border controls
try will manage the chal- government to manage election until late 2017, ners, Turkey and others to and for a cap. The party’s
lenge and that diplomacy the influx, Merkel’s Bavarian secure Europe’s frontiers leader, governor Horst See-
can bring solutions. allies are once again push- smaller votes this year — and share the burden of hofer, suggested an annu-
Germany registered nearly ing for a cap on asylum- hosting refugees. That has al figure of 200,000 asylum-
1.1 million asylum-seekers seekers. starting with three state been the central plank of seekers, and grumbling has
last year, and 2,000 to 3,000 Public opinion toward refu- her approach even as the resurfaced in Merkel’s own
are still arriving daily even in gees has been souring for elections in March — will government has tightened party.
mid-winter. months in Germany, al- policy at home — taking Yet Merkel isn’t budging
A surge of robberies and though polls suggest po- offer a test of the mood. steps to make it easier to and won’t say by when she
send migrants from Balkan aims to get the numbers
“The events of New Year’s nations home and making down.
clear that not all Afghans “It wouldn’t be right to
Eve have again shone a will be allowed to stay. name the exact day,” she
Whether Merkel will have said. “We are working at
spotlight on the challenges any more success in Eu- high pressure on a sustain-
rope in 2016 than last year able reduction.”
we face, made them clear is questionable. Her finance minister, Wolf-
Slovak Prime Minister Rob- gang Schaeuble, said Eu-
from a new side we had ert Fico, an outspoken op- rope has only “finite” time
ponent of compulsory refu- to secure its external bor-
not viewed so far,” Merkel gee quotas, said after the ders but wouldn’t give a
Cologne assaults that mi- date. The daily Suedde-
acknowledged. Within grants can’t be integrated utsche Zeitung argued in
and “we don’t want what an editorial that if things
days, her government pro- happened in Germany to don’t change by midyear,
happen here.” Merkel will have to declare
Merkel has pledged to re- a partial, temporary halt to
duce the influx but resisted admitting migrants.
calls to set a specific limit The first electoral test since
on the number of refugees the refugee crisis escalat-
Germany can take. She ral- ed last summer comes on
lied her conservative party March 13.q