Angela Merkel. Photo: picture alliance/dpa
Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel has defended her decision to accept a large number of Syrian refugees during her term, saying it was a matter of “dignity”. At the same time, she stressed the need for a serious approach to the problem of illegal migration, dpa reports.
In an interview with French state TV channel France 2, Merkel said that the decision to accept the refugees was the right one, as they were in a difficult situation, fleeing the Bashar al-Assad regime and looking for new opportunities for themselves and their families. “These were people who were in danger, who paid smugglers to escape the war because they had no prospects in their country,” she explained.
Merkel also said that she was aware of the complexity of the decision and understood that it would be a great challenge for Germany, but that it was important to remain true to European values, according to which “the dignity of every human being is important”.
When asked about the rise of racism and the popularity of far-right parties opposed to accepting refugees, Merkel acknowledged that these trends had already begun to gain strength during her leadership. At the same time, she stressed that the alternative – blocking the arrival of refugees, for example, with water cannons – would be unacceptable to her. “It would not be right,” she added.
The former Chancellor also stressed that the problem of illegal migration must be “taken seriously”, emphasising that this issue concerns not only Germany but also other European countries, including France. “We cannot allow smugglers to dictate our behaviour,” Merkel said. She also called on the democratic parties to cooperate on this issue by working with the countries of origin of refugees, as Germany has done with Turkey.
According to the latest data, Germany is the EU country with the largest Syrian diaspora, with about a million Syrians living there. Most of them came to Germany during the migration crisis of 2015-2016, when Merkel decided to open the doors to refugees, which became one of the key political themes of her chancellorship.
