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2 IN THIS ISSUE Syrian Refugees: Crisis in Germany (Duration 15:56) The massive tsunami of refugees into Europe this past year has overwhelmed many countries. Some countries responded by closing their borders, but Germany said it would take whoever wanted to come. Now the country is reeling under the sheer numbers. Nahlah Ayed takes us to Hamburg where she discovers what it's like for the asylum seekers and meets those who are helping the newcomers resettle. News in Review Study Modules EU Refugee Crisis, October 2015 Syrian Refugees: A Humanitarian Crisis, March 2015 ISIS: The Making of a Terrorist Organisation, October 2014 A Look Back at International News, December 2013 Crisis in Syria, October 2012 The Bloodbath in Syria, February 2012 Related CBC Programs The Journey from Syria to Canada Landed: Six New Lives in Canada Refugee Camp: Simulating the Refugee Experience Refugee Students: The Lucky Ones Swimming to Freedom: The Incredible Story of Yahya Samatar (CBC Radio) Syria: Behind Rebel Lines Syrian Refugee Crisis: Lessons from Vietnamese Boat People Credits News in Review is produced by CBC News Resource Guide Writer: Marc Keirstead Resource Guide Editor: Sean Dolan Host: Michael Serapio Packaging Producer: Marie-Hélène Savard Associate Producer: Agathe Carrier Supervising Manager: Laraine Bone Visit us at our website at curio.ca/newsinreview, where you will find an electronic version of this resource guide and an archive of all previous News in Review seasons. As a companion resource, we recommend that students and teachers access CBC News Online, a multimedia current news source that is found on the CBC s home page at cbc.ca/news/. Closed Captioning News in Review programs are closed captioned for the hearing impaired, for English as a Second Language students, or for situations in which the additional on-screen print component will enhance learning. CBC Learning authorizes the reproduction of material contained in this resource guide for educational purposes. Please identify the source. News in Review is distributed by: CBC Learning Curio.ca, P.O. Box 500, Stn A, Toronto, ON, Canada M5W 1E6 Copyright 2015 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation

3 News in Review December 2015 Teacher Resource Guide SYRIAN REFUGEES: Crisis in Germany THE STORY Minds On Before we begin examining the plight of Syrians fleeing their homelands in favour of safe haven in Europe, it is important to distinguish between an asylum seeker and a refugee. An asylum seeker is a person who has applied for asylum under the 1951 UN Convention on the Status of Refugees on the grounds that, if they return to their country of origin, they will likely face persecution based on their race, religion, ethnicity, political belief or membership in a particular social group. They remain an asylum seeker as long as their application is pending. A refugee is an asylum seeker whose application has been successfully approved. In its broader context, it means a person fleeing something like a civil war or natural disaster, but not necessarily fearing persecution. 1 In your own words, what is the difference between an asylum seeker and a refugee? Make your explanation as clear and concise as possible. Welcome to Germany When a wave of refugees from Syria and Iraq began seeking safe haven in Europe in 2015, many countries were initially welcoming. Germany indicated that it would be willing to accept close to a million asylum seekers. When these displaced people began arriving there were scenes of Germans applauding and offering water, clothes, and food. It seemed many Germans agreed with Chancellor Angela Merkel who told her fellow citizens that Germany had a moral obligation to assist refugees. For those who called her a traitor for the stance she had taken, she responded, There can be no tolerance of those who question the dignity of other people. There is no tolerance of those who are not ready to help, where, for legal and humanitarian reasons, help is due. 2 Chancellor Merkel not only used a moral argument for welcoming refugees, she also reminded Germans that their economy was doing very well and there was, in fact, a labour shortage. These newcomers could provide badly needed labour, especially in light of a shrinking German population. Many economists see positive signs in welcoming immigrants since governments have to spend money on shelters and training for refugees. The spending would be similar to an economic stimulus program with more jobs being created to deal with the needs of the refugees. Challenges As word spread of Germany s generous offer to accept refugees, many nations assisted in facilitating the movement of people from their territory to Germany. Suddenly Germany faced a large influx of refugees and had to take immediate steps to deal with the needs of these newcomers. All sixteen German states were News in Review CBC Learning curio.ca/newsinreview 1

4 assigned quotas for refugee settlement. This meant the states had to locate housing, register the refugees for medical care, establish classes to teach German, and begin to integrate children into schools. With a large number of people arriving, and with winter on the way, the most immediate concern was finding housing. This resulted in former military bases being reopened for refugee settlement as well as converting closed factories and school gymnasiums into places for people places to stay. German fears and increasing opposition Once the initial enthusiasm of welcoming refugees faded, opposition to the rapid admittance of asylum seekers increased. Some Germans criticized the government for not properly preparing for the newcomers and forcing local communities to assist refugees with little financial assistance. Communities feared their infrastructure would not be able to accommodate the deluge of people. There was also a growing fear that the very nature of German culture could be threatened by massive numbers of Muslims. Soon right-wing Neo-Nazi groups demonstrated against the newcomers and, in some cases, refugee centres were attacked. Most Germans condemned these actions and public opinion polls indicated that the majority of Germans did not support these right-wing, extremist groups. German restrictions As opposition grew, and as neighbouring nations facilitated movement of refugees to Germany, To consider Chancellor Merkel was forced to implement some restrictions. She also had to urge all members of the European Union (EU) to take in their fair share of refugees. Many of the smaller members of the EU claimed they could not deal with the sheer numbers of refugees and started to close their borders. Eventually, Germany was forced to restrict the number of refugees entering the country while it tried to cope with its current allotment. More opposition grew after the Paris attacks of November 13, 2015, when it was discovered that one of the terrorists was a refugee from Syria. Suddenly there was a growing fear that other terrorists might enter Europe hidden among legitimate asylum seekers. As a result, Germany felt compelled to re-establish border controls and reinforce its demand for more assistance from the EU. This turn of events only served to complicate the tragic humanitarian crisis being endured by Syrian refugees and asylum seekers. One reason refugees were able to cross so many European borders has to do with the EU s policy of open borders. Once a person arrives in one member nation, he/she is free to travel to other nations unimpeded. Source: 1. Migration Watch UK (January 24, 2006). Briefing Paper 8.11: The distinction between asylum seekers and refugees. 2. Hutton, Will (August 30, 2015). Angela Merkel s humane stance on immigration is a lesson to us all. The Guardian. Retrieved from: 1. How many refugees was German willing to accept? How challenging would this be for the entire nation? 2. What kind of opposition to refugee settlement arose in Germany? Why did people want to slow down (and in some cases eliminate) Syrian refugee immigration? 3. What impact did the terrorist attacks in Paris have on the will to facilitate more refugee immigration? News in Review CBC Learning curio.ca/newsinreview 2

5 VIDEO REVIEW Before Viewing Let s imagine a refugee fleeing the civil war in Syria who we will call Ahmed. Ahmed has left his homeland after his neighbourhood was all but destroyed by warring factions. His goal is to flee to Germany, a nation that has pledged to accept up to a million refugees. Ahmed pays a huge sum of money to smugglers and survives a dangerous crossing of the Mediterranean Sea to first reach Greece. He walks and hitchhikes thousands of kilometres, crossing numerous borders, until finally reaching Germany. He hopes to settle in Berlin but German immigration officials put him on a bus and send him to the northern part of the country. He settles in the farming community of Veltheim, which has a population of The community has already accepted 300 refugees, with more refugees like Ahmed arriving on a steady basis. A very proud man, Ahmed does not want to be a burden on his German hosts. He wants to be seen as a contributing member of his newly adopted country. 1. What challenges would Ahmed face in this community? 2. What challenges would the citizens of Veltheim face? An extreme example of the crisis facing German communities in dealing with the influx of refugees is the community of Sumte. This town of 102 people has been told to prepare to receive 750 refugees. Viewing 1. What do some refugees hope to achieve when they settle in Germany? 2. How did the conditions faced by refugees on their way to Germany indicate that countries were not totally prepared for their arrival? 3. Why might Germany accept so many refugees if it did not have all the facilities in place to accommodate them? 4. What reason does Ms. Kant give for Germany accepting so many refugees? News in Review CBC Learning curio.ca/newsinreview 3

6 5. Why might some Germans attack refugee camps as well as politicians who support admitting refugees? 6. How is the rise of Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamization of the West (they go by the acronym PEGIDA) causing civil unrest in Germany? 7. How are some Germans trying to help the refugees integrate into German society? 8. How might Canada s experience with refugees help Germans respond to refugees? During the 2015 election, Justin Trudeau promised to admit Syrian refugees by the end of the year. Since becoming Prime Minister he has revised his promise and now refugees will be admitted to Canada by the end of 2015 and during the early months of After Viewing 1. Should Germany continue to accept refugees? That is the question many Germans are now asking. If you were a German, how might you respond? Use the following organizer to help you make your decision: Areas to Consider Reasons for Accepting Reasons for Restricting Economic Social Moral Note: use information from The Story section to help you formulate an answer. News in Review CBC Learning curio.ca/newsinreview 4

7 CONTRASTING RESPONSES Response #1: Let history be your guide One reason Germany gives for accepting large number of refugees is an historic one. Many Germans feel they still need to address negative aspects of their history related to the Holocaust by providing aid to those suffering persecution. They also remember how they had to deal with massive migration after World War II. Should history be used to determine immigration policy or should politicians only use current conditions to help them make policy decision? Response #2: Drum up fear to keep people out Vehemently opposes a misogynistic and violent political ideology, but does not oppose assimilated and politically moderate Muslims. Argues for the protection of Germany's traditional Judeo-Christian culture. Opposes parallel societies and parallel jurisdictions, for example Sharia courts, Sharia police and peace judges. Opposes any radicalism, whether religious or politically motivated. Opposes hate speech, regardless of religion. PEGIDA is a political movement that has surface in Germany that opposes the large scale immigration of refugees. Its demands have been called racist by some critics. Nonetheless, PEGIDA has managed to stage several large rallies in many German cities. Those who oppose PEGIDA accuse the group of being neo-nazis and have held counterdemonstrations. Examine some articles from the movement s manifesto and explain why some Germans would agree with the movement s policies while others see hidden, nefarious messages. How might those who oppose PEGIDA interpret the manifesto as a dangerous document? According to their manifesto, PEGIDA: Approves the right of asylum for war refugees and politically persecuted people. Calls for an increase in funding for the police. Demands the implementation of asylum laws including expulsion. Demands zero tolerance for criminal refugees and immigrants. Source: Wikipedia translation of "Pegida Positionspapier" in German (10 December 2014). Retrieved from: Follow up With Canada in a position to accept many refugees, which position do you think the Canadian public would support? Do you think Canada would tap into its history as an immigrant-rich nation and let people in, or would we turn to fear and close our borders? News in Review CBC Learning curio.ca/newsinreview 5