In the wake of sexual assaults reported in Cologne, Germany, on New Year’s Eve — blamed largely on Middle Eastern and North African migrants — much of Europe is abuzz with debate over the problems that accompany mass migration of Eastern people into Western nations.
The streets of Cologne on Saturday hit a fever pitch over the issue, with thousands from opposing ideological spectrums holding angry protests. Some held banners with slogans such as “RAPEfugees not welcome” and “Integrate barbarity?” while counter-protesters maintained their “refugees welcome” mantra.
Demonstrators hold a sign "Rapefugees not welcome - !Stay away!" and a sign with a crossed out mosque as they march in Cologne, Germany, on Saturday Jan. 9, 2016. (AP Photo/Juergen Schwarz)
Demonstrators hold a sign “Rapefugees not welcome – !Stay away!” and a sign with a crossed out mosque as they march in Cologne, Germany, on Saturday Jan. 9, 2016. (AP Photo/Juergen Schwarz)
Stepping into the fray is New York Times contributing op-ed writer Anna Sauerbrey, who covers Germany and is an editor on the opinion page of the newspaper Der Tagesspiegel. Her most recent piece for the Times — “Germany’s Post-Cologne Hysteria” — offered the following conclusion on the matter:
The real question we should be asking is not whether there is something inherently wrong with the refugees, but whether Germany is doing an effective job of integrating them — and if not, whether something can be done to change that.
Readers were quick to react: