Burkini
Koblenz bans burkini at pools but allows wetsuits (LINK ONLY)
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Angela Merkel
Government & Politics
German court rejects AfD’s complaint over Angela Merkel’s refugee policy Judges on Germany's highest court unanimously threw out legal complaints brought by the AfD. They said far-right lawmakers failed to show how Merkel's 2015 decision to let in refugees was a constitutional violation.
(Deutsche Welle) Germany’s Constitutional Court dismissed three complaints initiated by the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) challenging German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s refugee policies in 2015. Judges on the high court unanimously rejected all the cases, which were brought by the AfD’s group […]
Government & Politics
Germany’s new CDU chief to review liberal Merkel migration policies
(Reuters) The new leader of Germany’s Christian Democrats (CDU) outlined plans on Sunday to change the party’s migrant policies before next year’s European election, signaling that she could break with her mentor Angela Merkel’s liberal approach. The conservative party elected Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer […]
Government & Politics
More than 150 governments to adopt U.N. migration pact in Morocco
(Reuters) More than 150 countries will join a United Nations conference to adopt a global pact to better handle migrant flows, a senior U.N. official said on Sunday, less than the number that initially worked on the plan. In July, all 193 […]
Academics & Education
‘There is no Sharia law on German soil’: CDU candidate Merz
(Local) The candidate for the CDU presidency, Friedrich Merz, expects an unconditional commitment to the German legal system from the approximately 4.5 million Muslims in Germany, he said at a regional conference in Düsseldorf on Wednesday evening. The former head of the […]
Crime
Ban on deportations to Syria to remain, says Interior Minister Horst Seehofer A hopeful to replace German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the head of the Christian Democrats had called for Syrian refugees who commit crimes in Germany to be deported. Germany's interior minister disagrees.
(Deutsche Welle) German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer has ruled out ending a moratorium on deporting Syrians, including those whose asylum applications are denied or those who commit crimes in Germany. Seehofer told Der Spiegel magazine on Friday that the decision was made after publication […]
Government & Politics
CDU hopeful Merz decried as ‘Trump light’ for questioning asylum rights Opposition lawmakers have lodged hefty criticism against Merkel's could-be successor for questioning the right to asylum. The populist AfD said Merz has become more right-wing than they are.
(Deutsche Welle) Friedrich Merz, the millionaire lawyer and financial manager who is hoping to lead the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) after Chancellor Angela Merkel steps down as party leader in December, was in trouble on Thursday after suggesting Germany should reopen the debate on […]
Government & Politics
Hillary Clinton: Europe must curb immigration to stop rightwing populists (LINK ONLY)
Eye on Islamism is no longer printing excerpts from articles published by certain news sources. To read the original article, click here.
Government & Politics
Vying for Merkel’s job, Jens Spahn plays the migration card Conservative, gay and controversial: The 38-year-old politician has made immigration a focal point of his candidacy to become the CDU’s new leader.
(Handelsblatt) Jens Spahn has long been preparing for a leading role in the post-Merkel CDU. He is currently health minister in Angela Merkel’s cabinet and a fellow Christian Democrat. And as soon as his boss resigned as party leader, he seized the […]
Government & Politics
Merkel’s would-be successor questions Germany’s sacrosanct asylum pledge
(Reuters) A conservative running to succeed Chancellor Angela Merkel as head of their party has raised an outcry by questioning Germany’s constitutional guarantee of asylum that was enshrined to atone for World War Two Nazi crimes. Germany’s “Grundgesetz” (Basic Law) assures asylum […]
Government & Politics
Merkel successor hopefuls bid to bury her migration legacy
(AFP) Candidates hoping to succeed Angela Merkel as leader of her CDU party have sparked outrage in Germany with controversial proposals on migration as they scramble to distance themselves from her liberal refugee policy. Merkel’s fateful decision in 2015 to keep Germany’s […]
Crime
Germany: Turkish-Muslim appointed second-in-command of domestic intelligence
(Gatestone) Chancellor Angela Merkel has appointed a Turkish immigrant to fill the second-highest position in Germany’s domestic intelligence agency, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz, BfV). As the BfV’s new vice president, Sinan Selen, a 46-year-old […]
Government & Politics
German Jews rail against far-right AfD party at Kristallnacht commemoration event
(JTA) When the head of Germany’s main Jewish organization said only one Bundestag party was not invited to Friday’s commemoration of the Kristallnacht pogroms, few had any doubt: He meant the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany, or AfD. And it was the only […]
Crime
German lawmakers push for Syrian refugee deportations In the wake of a rape case involving Syrians in Germany, conservative lawmakers are demanding the government re-evaluate the security situation in Syria. Criminal refugees should be able to be deported, they say.
(Deutsche Welle) Who wants to deport refugees from Germany to Syria? The rape of a young woman in the southwestern city of Freiburg has reignited the debate over deporting criminal asylum-seekers. At least seven Syrian men and one German man are suspected […]
Academics & Education
German public schools are teaching Islam to students who are not sure if they belong
(Washington Post) It was the second week of Islam class, and the teacher, Mansur Seddiqzai, stood in front of a roomful of Muslim teens and pointed to the sentence on the chalkboard behind him: “Islam does not belong to Germany.” He scanned […]
Demonstrations
PEGIDA’s fourth anniversary: Thousands in Dresden for rival rallies Some 10,000 people joined demonstrations in Dresden opposing a celebratory PEGIDA rally. The far-right group held its first 'evening stroll' four years ago.
(Deutsche Welle) Thousands of people turned out on Sunday in the eastern German city of Dresden in defiance of a fourth-anniversary rally by the anti-immigrant PEGIDA movement. The far-right group’s march through the city took place at the same time and attracted […]
Demonstrations
German AfD members monitored by spy agency are now Bavarian lawmakers
(Reuters) Some members of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in Bavaria who are under surveillance for alleged links to extremist groups won seats in its parliamentary election at the weekend, the state’s intelligence agency said. An agency spokesman said on […]
Academics & Education
Behind Bavaria’s harsh rhetoric, schools offer migrants warm welcome
(Reuters) Omar Alnifawi was 16 when he fled Syria’s civil war with his family. After four years working menial jobs in Lebanon to help pay for their journey on to Europe, he had given up on ever going back to school. Six […]
Discrimination & “Islamophobia”
German lawmakers slam AfD party for anti-Islamic motion MPs accuse far-right Alternative for Germany of racism, inciting hatred against Muslims
(Anadolu) Lawmakers from different parties heavily criticized the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party on Thursday over its controversial motion demanding a ban on the Quran. Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) accused the AfD of distorted generalizations about Islam and […]
Government & Politics
Germany to give its states 6.85 billion euros for migrant costs in 2019: source
(Reuters) Germany’s federal government agreed on Wednesday to distribute 6.85 billion euros ($7.87 billion) to its regions next year to help them cover the costs of housing and integrating migrants, a government source told Reuters. Germany is trying to integrate over a […]
Government & Politics
Merkel’s conservatives rule out working with Germany’s far-right AfD
(Reuters) Senior German conservatives facing painful losses in two state elections this month have ruled out forming coalitions with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. “I am very clear about this: not with the AfD,” parliament speaker and former finance minister […]
Government & Politics
Far-right surge in Bavaria vote could reshape Germany’s national politics
(Reuters) The right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) is poised to humiliate Chancellor Angela Merkel’s allies in an Oct. 14 vote for Germany’s most influential regional government, an election that could have far-reaching implications for national politics. With blunt anti-Islamic rhetoric and attacks […]
Demonstrations
Rival rallies as Erdogan opens mega mosque in Cologne
(AFP) Thousands of demonstrators hit the streets of Cologne Saturday as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan opened one of Europe’s largest mosques at the end of his visit to Germany, with police out in force to manage rival rallies. The inauguration capped […]
Government & Politics
Turkey’s Erdogan to open Cologne mosque in controversial state visit The Turkish president's hopes of addressing the German-Turkish community are closer to becoming reality. His upcoming state visit was described as a 'betrayal' by journalist Deniz Yücel, who was imprisoned in Turkey.
(Deutsche Welle) Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will officially open a new central mosque in the western German city of Cologne, the Turkish-Islamic organization DITIB confirmed on Tuesday evening. Erdogan will open the mosque at a ceremony at the end of his […]
Employment
Merkel takes a gamble with new immigration law
(Reuters) Chancellor Angela Merkel hopes a new immigration law will make it easier for foreign workers to find jobs in Germany, but her push to fill a record number of vacancies risks angering voters who still resent her open-door refugee policy. With […]
Government & Politics
Germany, Algeria to work more closely on deportations, Merkel says
(Reuters) Germany and Algeria want to find ways to speed up the repatriation of Algerians living illegally in Germany, Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Monday during a visit to Algeria. Since around a million asylum seekers reached Germany in 2015, Merkel’s government […]
Crime
Germany: Stifling dissent to mass migration
(Gatestone) In Communist East Germany, truth-telling involved risks. The penalty for it was often loss of one’s professional career and social status, if not more. Today, challenging the state-approved narrative in Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Germany can sometimes have similar consequences. Germany’s intelligence […]
Government & Politics
Seehofer: Germany will sign migration deal with Italy Agreement has not yet been signed but can be considered a ‘success,’ according to German interior minister.
(Politico) Berlin has struck a bilateral deal with Italy on migration that it will sign in the coming days, Germany’s Interior Minister Horst Seehofer said Thursday. The agreement follows two similar deals Germany struck with Spain and Greece earlier this summer, as […]
Crime
Germany: Anti-immigration party surges in popularity
(Gatestone) The murder of a German citizen by two failed asylum seekers in Chemnitz, and the attempted cover-up by German police, has contributed to a surge in support for the anti-immigration party Alternative for Germany (AfD), which, according to a new poll, […]
Crime
German interior minister says would have joined protests over stabbing
(Reuters) Germany’s conservative interior minister said on Thursday he would have joined protests over the fatal stabbing of a German man, allegedly by two migrants, in comments likely to deepen divisions in Chancellor Angela Merkel’s coalition. Far-right groups clashed with police and […]
Crime
Merkel rebuffs conservative ally over far-right protests
(Reuters) German Chancellor Angela Merkel rebuffed comments from a conservative ally on Wednesday who had played down violence at far-right protests last week and said images of the event showed innocent people being persecuted. Germany has been shaken by the most violent […]
Crime
After demos, far-right AfD overtakes German Social Democrats
(Reuters) Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) has overtaken the center-left Social Democrats (SPD), a poll showed on Tuesday, days after some of the most violent protests by radical right-wingers the country has seen in decades. Some 6,000 supporters of the AfD […]
Government & Politics
Merkel to meet Macron in Marseille amid EU immigration row
(AFP) Emmanuel Macron will host German Chancellor Angela Merkel in the Mediterranean port city of Marseille on Friday, a French official said, seeking support as he takes on nationalist EU leaders over immigration and institutional reforms. The meeting will focus on “European […]
Crime
Thousands protest for and against migrants in tense German town
(AFP) Thousands of opponents and supporters of German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s immigration policy marched Saturday through the eastern city of Chemnitz after a wave of racist violence that followed a knife killing. The rallies, which drew 8,000 people according to police, ended […]
Government & Politics
Germany reaches deal on sending back migrants to Greece
(Reuters) Germany has reached an agreement with Greece to send back migrants to the Mediterranean country if they have already applied for asylum there, the German Interior Ministry said on Friday. Last week Germany and Spain sealed a similar deal on returning […]
Demonstrations
Facing far-right protest, Merkel pledges action over failed asylum seekers
(Reuters) German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Thursday her government would step up efforts to deport rejected asylum seekers faster, after hundreds of far-right protesters called on her to resign over her migration policy. The anti-Islam PEGIDA movement organized the protest against […]
Demographics
Merkel party member tells Germans not to be worried about becoming a minority
(Breitbart) A member of German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) has penned a column telling Germans they should not be worried about becoming minorities in their cities. CDU politician Barbara John has claimed “it is only a matter of time […]
Government & Politics
Germany’s Seehofer pushes migrant take-back deal with Italy, Greece
(AFP) German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer on Sunday said he hoped for a breakthrough this week in talks with Italy and Greece on taking back asylum-seekers already registered in those countries, as Berlin toughens its migration policies. Seehofer, whose push for tighter […]
Government & Politics
Germany lifts ban on reunions for refugees, rekindles integration debate
(Reuters) Germany on Wednesday resumed family reunifications for some refugees, drawing ire from leftist groups who said a cap of 1,000 people a month was too little and a far-right party opposed to immigration altogether. The government in 2016 suspended the right […]
Government & Politics
3 major German cities offer to take in more refugees Bonn, Cologne and Dusseldorf mayors pledge to take in more refugees, call for resumed sea rescue missions in Mediterranean
(Anadolu) Pledging to take in more refugees, three major German cities on Friday called on European authorities to resume sea rescue missions in the Mediterranean. In an open letter to Chancellor Angela Merkel, the mayors of Bonn, Cologne and Dusseldorf offered to […]
Government & Politics
German cabinet declares Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria ‘safe’ Germany's cabinet wants to add three Maghreb states and Georgia to a list of 'safe countries of origin.' But will the change pass Germany's upper house of parliament, the Bundesrat, where it failed last year?
(Deutsche Welle) The German government will put forward legislation declaring Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria and Georgia “safe countries of origin.” The decision was reached after the weekly meeting of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s cabinet on Wednesday in Berlin. If enacted, the change in the […]
Government & Politics
Wrongfully deported Afghan to return to Germany: ministry
(AFP) An asylum seeker deported to Afghanistan this month will be returned to Germany, the interior ministry said Wednesday, in the latest of a series of scandals surrounding Berlin’s hardening migration policy. A ministry spokeswoman said the federal migration and refugee agency […]
Government & Politics
German interior minister presents his migration master plan German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer has presented his long-awaited asylum 'master plan.' But he did not include the last-minute compromises made with coalition partners last week, which averted a government crisis.
(Deutsche Welle) Interior Minister Horst Seehofer finally got to present his migration “master plan” to the press on Tuesday, a month after it was blocked at the last minute by Chancellor Angela Merkel, precipitating a crisis in the German government that almost […]
Government & Politics
Three in four Germans say immigration policies are negligently handled
(Local) A full 72% of Germans find immigration policies in Germany to be “too careless,” according to a newly released survey by the research institute YouGov. The survey, which asked 2,040 participants their views between June 20th — July 4th, was conducted […]
Government & Politics
Merkel, Orban clash over EU values with anti-migrant wind blowing
(AFP) German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday accused Hungary’s right-wing Prime Minister Viktor Orban of failing to respect “humanity” with his immigration policy, days after she made key border protection concessions to hardliners who have embraced Budapest’s anti-migrant stance. In a remarkable […]
Government & Politics
German coalition reaches deal on migration, no transit centers
(Reuters) The parties in Germany’s ruling coalition on Thursday reached agreement on a package of measures to deal with asylum-seekers who have already registered in other European Union states, and vowed to push ahead with an immigration law before year’s end. The […]
Government & Politics
Germany: Migration deal keeps Merkel in power, for now
(Gatestone) In an extraordinary last-minute reversal, Chancellor Angela Merkel, facing the imminent collapse of her coalition government, agreed late on July 2 to reinstate border controls with Austria. Interior Minister Horst Seehofer had threatened to resign from Merkel’s cabinet unless she agreed […]
Government & Politics
Hungary’s Orban open to bilateral migration deal with Merkel
(Reuters) Hungary’s anti-migrant Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Tuesday signalled his willingness to strike a bilateral deal with Chancellor Angela Merkel to limit the arrival of asylum seekers in Germany and other European countries. Merkel needs the backing of both her junior […]
Government & Politics
Merkel, rebel minister agree migrant deal to avert govt crisis
(AFP) German Chancellor Angela Merkel reached a deal Monday on migration with her rebellious interior minister, Horst Seehofer, defusing a bitter row that had threatened her government. Both sides hammered out “a truly good compromise … after a tough struggle and difficult […]
Government & Politics
German interior minister offers resignation over migration row
(AFP) Germany’s interior minister Horst Seehofer on Sunday said he wants to resign both his office and his position as head of the hardline conservative Bavarian CSU party, throwing into question the future of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s coalition government. “He wants to […]