So it must be fine with them if beleaguered Greece sends their asylum-seeker overload to Germany, right?
First from Sputniknews on Dresden:
The protest was designed to promote the idea of multiculturalism in Germany and contribute to the elimination of racism and discrimination.
Anastasia Raevskaya — Thousands of people gathered on Saturday in Dresden to demonstrate against xenophobia and racism, promoted by the German anti-islamization movement Pegida.
Carrying balloons of different colors with the legend “Refugees welcome” and holding placards urging tolerance towards foreigners — students, refugees, representatives of various political movements and other activists crowded the city center to protest against discrimination and express their solidarity with people of various religious and cultural backgrounds.
The demonstration was organized by a nationwide social movement known as #NoPegida, which formed as resistance to the notorious right-wing group Pegida. Over the last few months, Germany has experienced a wave of anti-Islam sentiment, partly related to an increased influx of refugees from Syria and Iraq. Pegida or Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamization of the West was responsible for organizing anti-immigrant demonstrations, which have taken place all over the country since October 2014.
Read more here.
So, we ask, if Germany is so welcoming, why is the German government upset with economically stressed Greece for sending its asylum-seeker overload northward?
From The Times:
Berlin is demanding answers from Athens after it emerged that the former Greek government issued documents to Syrian refugees that would allow them to claim asylum in Germany.
Syrians who managed to reach Greece have told The Times that they convinced Athens to provide them with official residency papers. Once they had these, they were able to book flights to northern European countries more generous to migrants.
The arrangement suited both parties, it is alleged. The Syrians did not want to settle in Greece, because the economy was in crisis and there were few jobs. Unlike Germany, it does not promote a policy of family reunification, where migrants can bring relatives to live with them once they are settled.
Greece does not want refugees and is struggling to keep itself afloat in the midst of a row with Brussels over the repayment of €240 billion of debt.
[….]
With official Greek residency papers, Syrians have been able to book a flight to Germany, rip their papers up during the flight and claim asylum once they land in Germany.
The Times tells us that the migrants want to go to welcoming Germany, Denmark or Sweden.
Alas, the clock is ticking on Germany and the whole of Europe. See our extensive archive on the ‘Invasion of Europe’ by clicking here.