And it’s happening all over.
Country by country. There must be a good reason for this. Why are European voters voting for parties that promise to get European migrant madness under control? What’s wrong with them?
Far-right AfD tops German popularity ranking in bombshell new survey – Between Alternative for Germany and France’s National Rally, populists continue to rise in Europe’s most powerful countries.
Or is it already too late?
Germany is now leading the charge on Europe’s anti-immigration turn – Chancellor Merz’s new hardline course promises to accelerate the EU’s rightward pivot on migration as the bloc prepares to implement tough measures.
Past German governments sought to temper Europe’s most hardline impulses on migration. Now, under Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Berlin is vying to lead Europe’s anti-immigration charge.
The stark shift in Germany’s migration stance under its new government promises to accelerate the EU’s hard-right turn on migration as the bloc prepares to implement a series of new measures aimed at drastically reducing the number of asylum seekers entering Europe — and deporting more of those who do make it. As European leaders negotiate on how to put these measures into place, those from some of the EU’s most hardline countries are welcoming Germany’s new role.
At least.
Germany: One in four immigrants doesn’t want to stay – Why are immigrants leaving Germany? A new study shows that other countries are more attractive to economically successful foreigners. Discrimination also plays a major role.
“Twenty-six percent, or around 2.6 million people, say that they actually considered leaving Germany last year, i.e., they thought about leaving the country,” said Yuliya Kosyakova, head of the Migration, Integration, and International Labor Market Research Division at the IAB, as she summarized the figures at the presentation of the study in Berlin. “Around 3%, or 300,000 people, already have concrete plans to leave.”
That means weapons and knives are forbidden (here).
Why didn’t anybody think of this before? Problem solved. At least “temporarily.”
Federal police declare temporary knife ban at major Berlin train stations – A temporary knife ban at major Berlin stations promises safety but raises questions about policing and public space.
Starting next week, Berlin’s central train stations will become no-knife zones, at least for part of the day. In an effort to curb rising violence, federal police are instituting a month-long weapons ban across twelve of the city’s busiest stations.
But their anger is being systematically ignored by their old school political parties.
That’s why the AfD keeps getting stronger.
It Is Time for Germans To Get Seriously Angry – Early Sunday morning (last week), Germany was hit by Islamist terror—again. Five people were severely injured, two critically, in a knife attack. The perpetrator, identified as a 35-year-old Syrian refugee, was finally tracked down and arrested by police on Tuesday, 42 hours later. He reportedly entered Germany illegally two years ago. Fellow residents at his asylum shelter told reporters he maintained close connections to Islamist circles—a claim supported by evidence found in his room during the police investigation.
Germany, that much is clear, is in deep trouble. And its establishment—though the police have done a commendable job hunting down the perpetrator—remains unable to get a grip on the persistent terrorist threat.
So way to go, Germany!
Germany plans to suspend family reunification – The new German government has agreed to stop family members of refugees with subsidiary protection status from moving to Germany. The controversial move will particularly affect Syrian families.
If they could only find Germany on the map.
Germany warns its travelers about US border crackdown under Trump – Officials now explicitly warn that even minor infractions could trigger immediate deportation or a ban on future entry.
Doesn’t everyone?
I had no intention of working. Honest. And so I forgot my Esta travel permit. No big deal. Shit happens.
And then of course shit happened.
German tourists’ ordeal reportedly ending as they are returned from US detention – A German tourist detained by US immigration authorities is due to be deported back to Germany on Tuesday after spending more than six weeks in detention, including eight days in “solitary confinement…”
The families of the two tourists, who were detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice), had compared their ordeals to “a horror film.”
That means attack. As in terrorist attack. As in the next one.
Munich: Söder speaks of attack – driver 24-year-old Afghan – A car has driven into a crowd of strikers in Munich. At least 28 people were injured, including children. Bavaria’s Minister President speaks of a “suspected attack”. The driver of the car was an Afghan asylum seeker.
I’d say it’s more like “refreshingly different.”
Merz doubles down on gambit with German far right in combative speech – Prospective chancellor takes startlingly aggressive line against those protesting against gamble with AfD.
The German conservative opposition leader, Friedrich Merz, whose party is widely tipped to win this month’s general election, defended his hardline migration proposals after a wave of protests accused him of breaching the time-honoured “firewall” between the far right and centrists.
In an uncompromising speech to a party congress of his Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in Berlin, Merz said he was confident they would win the 23 February vote “with a very good result”, well ahead of the anti-immigration, anti-Islam Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), which has been consistently placing second in the polls.
Five days after passing a non-binding resolution on border policy with the votes of the far right – marking a historic breach of a taboo – Merz renewed a promise to bar any formal cooperation with the AfD in future.
“We will not work with the Alternative für Deutschland – not before [the election], not after – never,” he said to a lengthy standing ovation from delegates.
Observing Hermann 