Portrait of Angela Merkel
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Angela Merkel on Refugees

Openness with caution (strong)

TL;DR

Angela Merkel strongly advocated for accepting refugees during the 2015 crisis, believing Germany could manage the humanitarian challenge.

Key Points

  • She stated "Wir schaffen das" on August 31, 2015, committing to managing the large influx of refugees during the 2015 European crisis.

  • She received the 2022 UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award for her determination to protect asylum-seekers and for demonstrating moral and political courage.

  • In 2017, after political pressure, she agreed for the first time to cap annual refugee entries at 200,000, a measure described as a 'breathing limit'.

Summary

Angela Merkel's core position on refugees, particularly during the 2015 European migrant crisis, was defined by the phrase "Wir schaffen das," meaning "we can manage this." This statement, made on August 31, 2015, asserted that Germany, being a strong country, had the capacity and moral imperative to handle the massive influx of asylum seekers, primarily from Syria, Afghanistan, and Iraq. She framed the decision as a humanitarian necessity that tested European values, urging her people to be compassionate and open-minded against divisive nationalism. Her leadership was instrumental in Germany welcoming over 1.2 million refugees and asylum seekers in 2015 and 2016, alongside establishing integration programs.

Her stance later evolved to reflect the need for management and control, as she acknowledged the exceptional nature of the 2015 situation and eventually stated she would prefer not to repeat the famous slogan, which she felt had become an unproductive formula. However, she also defended the spirit of the statement, emphasizing that the collective "We can" was crucial, and in later years criticized attempts to outright turn away migrants without checking their claims, stressing the need for humanitarian standards and collective European solutions over national isolationism.

Key Quotes

We are facing a major national task . . . And this will be a key challenge, not just for days or months, but . . . for a long time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Angela Merkel's most famous statement regarding refugees is 'Wir schaffen das,' which translates to 'we can manage this' or 'we can do this.' She uttered this phrase during the height of the 2015 European migrant crisis. It encapsulated her belief that Germany possessed the strength and resolve to handle the humanitarian challenge presented by the large number of arrivals.

While her fundamental commitment to humanitarianism remained, her articulation of the policy evolved; she later expressed a preference not to repeat the phrase, calling it 'a little exaggerated' at one point. She also agreed in 2017 to an annual cap on entries, suggesting a shift toward stricter management after the initial open-door phase.

Merkel stated that her motivation was a 'humanitarian imperative' when European values were being tested like seldom before. She viewed the situation as a test of those values, emphasizing compassion and openness. Her government also focused on developing systems for integration through education and employment programs.