Merkel refuses to apologize for immigration

Published 23 November 2024 at 12.29

Foreign. Ex-German Chancellor Angela Merkel is harshly criticizing her own CDU party for its demands for stricter border controls. In a new interview, she defends her own open borders policy from 2015.

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Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel stands by her migration policy from 2015 and describes it as necessary and just.

In an interview with Der Spiegel, she blames the lack of “integration” on the Germans and defends both her decisions on open borders and her famous happy selfies with immigrants from the third world.

– Without openness and willingness to change from the receiving society no integration can take place. A certain measure of knowledge about other cultures is necessary, I have to take an interest in it, says Angela Merkel.

She believes that the decision to keep the borders open during the asylum chaos in 2015 was right and criticizes today's demands from parts of Christian Democrats CDU on rejecting immigrants at the border.

– I still think it's wrong. It is an illusion to think that everything will be fine if we reject refugees at the German border.

Using violent means such as water cannons to stop people, Merkel believes, would have undermined Germany's and Europe's credibility on issues of “values” and “human rights”.

Angela Merkel also reflects on how her selfies with immigrants made her 'Mutti Merkel' in the Arab world – but rejects the idea that they would have attracted more emigrate.

– A friendly face does not make anyone leave their home. I know many refugees from the GDR. No one went out to shake Helmut Kohl's hand, she says.

The ex-chancellor means that she always took people's concerns about terrorism and Islamism seriously.

– If someone goes on a public party and think someone is coming behind with a knife, it's very worrying, even though the danger might not even be there at the time, she says.

Angela Merkel's autobiography, to be released next week, is expected to provide further insights in her thoughts and memories from 2015.