German government tries to scare migrants away
Having spent the better part of the last three years welcoming migrants from the Middle East and Africa to their country, the German government is now attempting to stem the tide.
The foreign ministry has created a website to dissuade would-be migrants from traveling to Germany.
The website, titled “Rumours about Germany: Facts for Migrants,” features “some of the most common false promises made by traffickers.”
Here are the seven “big lies”:
- The ship for the crossing is very big, and it even has a pool and cinema
- Germany has reserved 800,000 slots for Afghan refugees alone
- Human traffickers have 25 years of experience, and transport to Europe is 100 percent legal and achievable
- Big German corporations constantly need a new workforce, so Germany takes 5,000 migrants daily
- Every refugee receives a welcome payment of 2,000 euros
- Germany grants every refugee a house
- Refugees who doesn’t like it in Germany will be given a visa for Canada
The foreign ministry, instead, paints a dismal picture of refugee life in Germany.
“Those entering Germany illegally will not be able to get a job. Also note that the German government does not provide refugees with jobs. … Contrary to rumours and misinformation deliberately spread by human traffickers, Germany does not provide a welcome payment. Nobody will be given his own house. In fact, finding a place to live has become more and more difficult in Germany, especially in the big cities. Also note that you cannot choose freely where to live while you seek asylum and may have to stay in remote places where no one understands your language.”
The foreign ministry claimed in a press release that the website was a continuation of an information campaign that started in the fall of 2015.
But as Germany-based author and journalist Stefan Frank wrote at the Gatestone Institute, no major newspaper reported any such campaign at the time.
Frank also questions why any migrant would go to the “Rumours about Germany” website, and if they do go, why they would believe the foreign ministry’s claim that many asylum seekers see their applications rejected and have to return home with no money.
“Every German knows that hardly any asylum seekers whose applications are rejected are forced to leave Germany,” Frank wrote. “If their application is rejected and they decide to return to their home country, they are rewarded with an allowance of between €1000 ($1,200) and €3000 ($3,600). Thus, contrary to what ‘Rumours about Germany’ claims, making the journey to Germany still appears as a win-win proposition.”
What’s more, in 2014, the German government’s Agency for Migration and Refugees produced a 17-minute video depicting the welcoming arrival of a fictional refugee from Iraq.
As Frank pointed out, there were no mentions of any obstacles or difficulties in the entire film.
The video showed the fictional refugee encountering smiling officials who had been awaiting his arrival. And the refugee shelter was shown as a comfortable place with only two other residents, who both appeared to be friendly.
Click here for reuse options!