German Chancellor Angela Merkel yesterday backed a toughening of expulsion rules for convicted refugees, as protesters took to the streets against a shocking rash of sexual assaults blamed on migrants during New Year’s festivities.<\/p>\n
Both women’s groups and supporters of the xenophobic PEGIDA movement mobilised in separate rallies in Cologne, as Merkel declared that refugees found to have committed a crime — even those who have not been given jail terms — should be required to leave Germany.<\/p>\n
“If the law does not suffice, then the law must be changed” she said, vowing action to protect not just German citizens, but innocent refugees too.<\/p>\n
Outrage is growing in Germany over the revelations that hundreds of women ran a gauntlet of groping hands, lewd insults and robberies in mob violence last week in the western city on the New Year eve.<\/p>\n
Most of the assailants were of Arabic or North African background, according to eye-witnesses, police and media reports.<\/p>\n
The majority of suspects identified by federal police are also migrants, adding fuel to criticism of Merkel’s liberal migrant policy — which brought 1.1 million new asylum seekers to Germany last year.<\/p>\n
Banging pots and blowing whistles, demonstrators waved signs in German meaning “No violence against women” and “No means no! It’s the law!” while others read: “Protect our women and children.”
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The mob violence has played into popular fears, and threatened to cloud what had been a broadly welcoming mood in Germany where crowds cheered as Syrian refugees arrived by train in September.
\ninfo-the daily star<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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