Merkel, Kurtz lock horns on refugees

Hani Danial

The German Child Protection Federation reacted to calls for offering care to junior refugees by saying that few cases necessitated the presence of this care, amid a drop in the number of refugees coming to Germany.

The influence of the Austrian chancellor seems, meanwhile, to be on the rise because of the measures he had already taken against the refugees. The same measures caused embarrassment to German Chancellor, Angela Merkel.

This encouraged some German newspapers to say that the far-right Alternative for Germany Party was not behind the change in Germany’s asylum policies as it likes to claim. Austria, they said, was behind this change.

The Child Protection Federation in Hamburg, for its part, said some figures of the far-right lobbied for care for junior refugees. It warned the German judiciary against granting this right to these refugees.

The federation head described efforts by these figures in this regard as a “propagandist drive”.

There are few cases, he said, where care is needed in the light of a recent drop in the number of refugees coming to Germany.

Activists from the far-right, Identitarian Movement, called for submitting requests to get the right to care for junior refugees. The activists said they wanted this right to be able to talk to the refugees about the “misleading” expectations they had about Germany.

The movement spokesman talked about the presence of a document on the internet in this regard.

The branch of the movement in Hamburg is reportedly trying to hold training courses on care to junior refugees.

The German national daily, Die Welt, said Austrian Chancellor, Sebastian Kurz, is the first chancellor of Austria to come at the center of political debates in Germany.

Kurtz, the newspaper added, succeeded in offering an alternative when it comes to the refugee issue.

The newspaper added that the Alternative for Germany Party did not stand behind the change in Germany’s refugee policies. It was Austria, the newspaper said, that stood behind this change.

The Berliner Morgenpost newspaper dwelt on the gaps between Kurtz and Merkel on the refugee issue. The Austrian Chancellor, the newspaper said, talks about change in the European Union.

It called on Merkel to present answers to the questions of the Austrian Conservatives, warning against a crisis at home.

The Berliner Morgenpost also noted that Kurtz sought new partners within the European Union.

There are differences between Berlin and Vienna, especially when it comes to the distribution of the refugees within Europe, despite the presence of a common ground between them.

Kurtz’s support to the countries of eastern and central Europe widens the gap with Berlin even more.

Austria may try to take over the presidency of the European Union in the second half of 2018. This will serve Germany’s interests best.