Angela Merkel Rejects Changes in Policies Regarding Refugees

Angela Merkel, the Chancellor of Germany, emphasized that despite recent terrorist attacks in the country, Germany will continue to welcome refugees. According to AFP, Merkel stated on Thursday, July 29, that the attackers 'want to undermine our sense of unity and determination to help our fellow human beings,' but Germany strongly rejects this notion. The report mentions that the German Chancellor described the bloody events of the past week in the country as 'shocking, cruel, and tragic,' while assuring that these attacks do not mean that responsible institutions have lost control of the situation. One of these attacks occurred on Monday, July 29, on a passenger train, where an attacker assaulted passengers with an axe, severely injuring four of them. Another incident was a suicide bombing that resulted only in the death of the attacker. Both attacks were claimed by the Islamic State group, carried out by refugees from Pakistan and Syria. However, the deadliest attacks occurred in Munich, where an Iranian-German teenager shot and killed nine people before committing suicide. Various speculations have been raised regarding the motives behind this attack, but ultimately the attacker's connection to Islamist groups has been ruled out. Angela Merkel, referring to these events and similar attacks in France, Belgium, and Florida, stated that the taboos of the civilized world have been broken, and these attacks occurred in places where any of us could have been. Nevertheless, the German Chancellor reiterated her government's policies of accepting refugees fleeing war, stating that she still believes it is a historical duty that must be fulfilled. Last year alone, Germany accepted about 1.1 million refugees, most of whom were from Syria, a move that has drawn severe criticism from her opponents.