Sunday, July 15, 2018

Germany Just Agreed To Essentially Close Its Borders. How Did We Get Here? - Hit & Run : Reason.com

Germany Just Agreed To Essentially Close Its Borders. How Did We Get Here? - Hit & Run : Reason.com
"German Chancellor Angela Merkel stunned the world in 2015 by announcing that she would allow nearly a million asylum seekers into her country, a humanitarian gesture offering hope to those suffering from the ravages of wars worldwide.
The move transformed her into the poster child for opening up international borders. 
See the source imageHigh-profile German politicians, mainstream media outlets, and the public rallied behind the idea. Images of Germans welcoming refugees at train stations matched public opinion polls showing majority support for the new arrivals. 
To those who were feeling a bit nervous, the chancellor reassured them that the country and her government could "handle it."
But by 2018, the public mood had soured significantly. 
A new YouGov poll finds 72 percent of Germans saying their country's immigration policy is negligent, with only 12 percent saying it's about right. 
Last week, the reversal in public sentiment became official when the German chancellor ended a standoff with hardline immigration restrictionists in the government by dealing a mortal blow to the concept of open borders. 
She agreed to speed up deportations, to turn back refugees already registered in another European Union nation, and to let anti-immigration leader Horst Seehofer remain as head of the ministry charged with implementing these policies. 
...The deal is a dramatic repudiation of everything Merkel asked Germans to believe in just three years ago, which leaves many wondering: What on Earth went wrong?...
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