Results of Investigations into New Year's Eve Crimes in Germany to be Released

German officials say that preliminary results of investigations into sexual assaults on women during New Year's celebrations will be published on Monday, January 21. Ralph Jäger, the Minister of Internal Affairs of North Rhine-Westphalia, is expected to provide details to the media. The number of registered complaints in various cities in Germany has exceeded 600; as of Sunday, 516 complaints were reported in Cologne, 133 in Hamburg, and several in Frankfurt. 40% of the complaints in Cologne relate to harassment and sexual crimes, with at least two complaints of 'rape' recorded. Investigations in Cologne are mainly linked to refugees and illegal immigrants, particularly from North Africa. Police have also arrested several individuals in connection with these incidents. Reports indicate that the events of the New Year's celebrations have led to increased criticism of Chancellor Angela Merkel's so-called 'open-door' policy regarding refugees. Over one million refugees entered Germany in 2015. CNBC reports that Merkel has canceled her usual trip to Davos for the World Economic Forum. According to AFP, some of Merkel's political allies have also joined the critics of her policies. Meanwhile, Heiko Maas, the German Minister of Justice, has reiterated that the Cologne crimes appear to have been 'planned' and that investigations should be conducted regarding their connection to similar incidents in other cities. On Saturday, January 19, Merkel presented a new plan to the parliament that would make it easier to deport criminal refugees. This proposal must be approved by parliament. Police used water cannons to disperse a group of right-wing protesters demonstrating against refugees. Additionally, according to the Welt am Sonntag newspaper, the Federal Criminal Police of Germany will collect similar reports from other cities, and investigations will be coordinated throughout Germany. Over the weekends, Cologne has been the scene of protests, which, according to reports, were mainly attended by far-right extremist groups. However, there have also been protests by leftist groups and supporters of immigrants against sexual crimes. On Monday, January 21, a demonstration by members of the anti-Islam group PEGIDA is scheduled to take place in Leipzig. The Huffington Post reports that a recent attack on police in Paris will also influence discussions about refugee and immigrant policies in Germany. The assailant in the French capital was a refugee whose identity was registered in a German camp. The police shot and killed the assailant. Europe faced an unprecedented wave of refugees in 2015, primarily consisting of war and conflict refugees from Western Asia, including countries like Syria, Iraq, or Afghanistan. In this context, 'five Iranian refugees' are among the suspects in the New Year's Eve incidents in Cologne.