Refugees have created dangerous 'no-go' zones in Germany, admits German Chancellor Angela Merkel

Berlin: German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who had welcomed refugees coming from Middle East and Asia due to the conflicts in those regions three years ago, has begun to concede that problems in Germany have increased due to the increasing influx of refugees. In an interview to the German news channel ‘RTL’, she accepted that there are ‘NO-GO Zones’ (dangerous and no-entry areas) in the country.

About 1.5 million refugees have entered Germany in the past three years. Most of these are illegal migrants and don’t have the necessary documentation or identification. The German government has decided to take action to expel such refugees and to restrict the number of new refugees entering the country.

Against this background, Chancellor Merkel is assuming power as the head of the state for the fourth time. In the current tenure as a Chancellor, she will not be able to adopt policies to welcome the refugees. Instead she will have to take a stern stand and will have to initiate action. It is believed that Merkel’s acceptance of the troubles as being caused by the refugees is an indication of the new stance.

In the interview with ‘RTL’, Merkel accepted that problems have been created due to the influx of refugees. Merkel said that internal security is the responsibility of the government and the citizens should have the freedom to meet any one at any place and move around in public spaces, it is the state’s duty.

It cannot be said that there are no unsafe and no-entry zones in Germany, indicated Chancellor Merkel. ‘Germany has some places which have to be referred differently and the government will have to do something about it,’ accepted Chancellor Merkel. Chancellor Merkel’s ruling alliance almost lost its majority in the elections held last year. The opposing party, Alternative for Germany (AfD) which was aggressive against the refugee issue, had earned a good voter’s share and success. There was severe criticism from all the parties about Merkel’s policies after this right-wing party gained success. The partners in the ruling alliance also warned about the need to take a strong stand on the refugee issue.

Considering the prevailing situation, there is a reason to believe that it going to be an uphill task for Chancellor Merkel to run the government for the next four years and that she will have to face discontent from internal as well as external quarters.