Reducing illegal migration is the “best answer” to the rise of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), the country’s former chancellor Angela Merkel has said.
Critics have long argued that Ms Merkel's refusal to push back large numbers of asylum seekers during the 2015 mass refugee influx at the Austrian border led to more than one million arrivals and fuelled the rise of the far-right party.
Ms Merkel, who at the time posed for selfies with Syrian refugees, has written in her memoir that she “still does not understand … how anyone could have assumed that a friendly face in a photo would be enough to encourage entire legions to flee their homeland”. While affirming that “Europe must always protect its external borders”, she stresses that “prosperity and the rule of law will always make Germany and Europe … places where people want to go”.
However, speaking in an interview to promote Freedom: Memories 1954 – 2021, published on Tuesday, she said Europe must solve the migration crisis – and raising prosperity in countries such as Libya, Tunisia, Egypt and Morocco is key to doing that. She told the BBC that if Africans do not see a future for themselves at home, “the problem of immigration will only increase for us in Europe”.
She rejected the assertion that the influx in 2015 breathed life into the AfD, insisting that there are other countries in Europe with strong right-wing parties that do not have a migration problem. “I can’t hold myself responsible for the whole of Europe but of course it’s a balancing act,” she said. “That is why we took a number of measures to improve repatriation processes and to improve the integration of those allowed to stay here.”
She blamed the rise of the AfD on the euro crisis, because some in Germany felt it supported too many other countries and did not have enough resources itself. But she admitted that the party “regained support with the arrival of large numbers of refugees”.
“That’s why it’s so important that we solve the problem of illegal migration. That is why I signed an agreement with Turkey. The number of Syrian refugees arriving from Turkey fell by more than 90 per cent. The agreement with Turkey worked. So we must reduce illegal migration. That is the best answer to the AfD and we’re not there yet,” Ms Merkel said.
Her memoir also addresses Ukraine’s push to become a member of Nato, saying she tried to slow its bid over fears it would provoke Russian President Vladimir Putin. While she “understood” the desire of central and eastern European countries to join Nato “as soon as possible”, Ms Merkel said she believed their accession should improve the security of the alliance overall.
But none of the other potential members’ applications were as complicated as Ukraine’s due to the presence of Russia’s Black Sea fleet off Crimea. The eventual outcome of the summit, was, however, seen as negative by both sides. Ukraine and Georgia considered the lack of a clear path to membership as a setback for their aspirations, while Mr Putin considered the broader promise from the alliance a provocation, she wrote.
Retail gloom
Online grocer Ocado revealed retail sales fell 5.7 per cen in its first quarter as customers switched back to pre-pandemic shopping patterns.
It was a tough comparison from a year earlier, when the UK was in lockdown, but on a two-year basis its retail division, a joint venture with Marks&Spencer, rose 31.7 per cent over the quarter.
The group added that a 15 per cent drop in customer basket size offset an 11.6. per cent rise in the number of customer transactions.
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Dhadak
Director: Shashank Khaitan
Starring: Janhvi Kapoor, Ishaan Khattar, Ashutosh Rana
Stars: 3
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
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Global Fungi Facts
• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil
The biog
Name: Marie Byrne
Nationality: Irish
Favourite film: The Shawshank Redemption
Book: Seagull by Jonathan Livingston
Life lesson: A person is not old until regret takes the place of their dreams
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
KEY DEVELOPMENTS IN MARITIME DISPUTE
2000: Israel withdraws from Lebanon after nearly 30 years without an officially demarcated border. The UN establishes the Blue Line to act as the frontier.
2007: Lebanon and Cyprus define their respective exclusive economic zones to facilitate oil and gas exploration. Israel uses this to define its EEZ with Cyprus
2011: Lebanon disputes Israeli-proposed line and submits documents to UN showing different EEZ. Cyprus offers to mediate without much progress.
2018: Lebanon signs first offshore oil and gas licencing deal with consortium of France’s Total, Italy’s Eni and Russia’s Novatek.
2018-2019: US seeks to mediate between Israel and Lebanon to prevent clashes over oil and gas resources.
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
