LONDON, United Kingdom. Some 40% of Germans want Chancellor Angela Merkel to resign over her refugee policy, a new poll suggests.
The nation appears to be divided over the contentious issue which has seen several countries – including Sweden and Denmark – recently hardening their positions toward immigration.
The poll also showed that 45.2% of the 2,047 Germans polled by Insa said they believed it was not a reason for her to stand down.
The tensions simmering beneath Germany’s willingness to take in 1.1 million asylum seekers last year – nearly 430,000 of them Syrians – reached boiling point at the start of 2016.
More than 100 women were sexually assaulted, robbed or threatened during New Year celebrations in Cologne.
The alleged attacks happened when around 1,000 men – described as coming from “the Arab or North African region” – split into gangs after being dispersed by officers for throwing fireworks into the crowd of revelers.
The alleged attacks sparked protests and 10 days later a group of migrants were attacked by an angry mob in the city.
In an effort to stem an unprecedented influx of migrants to the country, Germany’s ruling coalition on Thursday agreed measures to tighten asylum rules, including speeding up the deportations of failed applicants and reducing financial support for asylum seekers.
In addition, refugees who do not face “immediate personal persecution” will not be allowed to bring relatives to join them for two years.
The deal between Mrs Merkel’s Christian Democrats (CDU), their Bavaria-based Christian Social Union (CSU) sister party and their left-leaning Social Democrat (SPD) coalition partners still needs Cabinet and parliamentary approval.
Mrs Merkel said: “We want those with prospects of remaining to be integrated, but we also want to say that we need those who have no prospect of remaining to return.”
In a separate package earlier this week, the Cabinet approved measures to make it easier to deport foreign criminals in response to the Cologne attacks.
The heads of Germany’s 16 states are demanding more government funds for schools and policing, arguing the influx of asylum seekers is pushing their resources to the limit.
The number of asylum seekers crossing the German border from Austria has fallen to 700 from more than 2,000 earlier in the year.
Sweden has announced the expulsion of up to 80,000 migrants who arrived in the country last year.
Denmark has approved controversial new laws allowing authorities to seize asylum seekers’ assets to help pay for their stay and delaying family reunions by increasing the waiting period from one to up to three years.
Credit: Sky News
