Sexual assaults challenge Germany’s welcoming attitude toward refugees

The consequences of dozens of sexual assaults and robberies reported in the German city of Cologne on New Year’s Eve, with the perpetrators described as “Arab and North African men”,  has been felt elsewhere: in the thousands of refugee centers across Germany.

There is no evidence that refugees were involved in the attacks. Nevertheless, even the possibility of their involvement was enough to inflame parts of German society.

In an effort to prevent a backlash against refugees, the Berlin-based tabloid B.Z. printed two front pages Wednesday. The first read: “Group of a thousand asylum seekers out of control.” An explanation accompanied the headline: “This is how the B.Z. would look if we trusted the Internet.”

On its second page, the newspaper presented its real cover, which read: “Those are the facts: We do not know who the perpetrators are.”

Many other Germans, however, have reached a different conclusion.

[The Washington Post]

This entry was posted in Humanitarian Aid, International Cooperation by Grant Montgomery.