Category Archives: Refugees

Germany: Syrians Get Into “Religious” Argument in Integration Class, Stab Each Other

Posted on by

An original translation from Neue Rhein/Ruhr Zeitung:

Argument in the Integration Class: Man Wounded With Knife
Rita Meesters
Dec. 19., 2017

WESEL. Syrian woman comes into conflict with two men in an integration class, her boyfriend afterwards gets critically injured. Homicide Department is investigating.

As a consequence of an argument among the participants of an integration class, on Monday evening around 5PM, a 23-year-old was critically wounded by a knife stab into the stomach. The two suspects, a 36-year-old Syrian and a 41-year-old man from Lebanon, were arrested in the early morning hours of Tuesday in their apartments in Wesel by a special force. One of the men resisted arrest and was injured during the arrest. He is being treated in hospital, the police announces.

Apparently, it was about religious matters
An argument in the integration class in the community college Ritterstraße. A vocal argument broke out between the two 36 and 41-year-old men, and a further participant of the class. According to NRZ information, it was apparently about religious backgrounds, the women apparently was not wearing a headscarf anymore. There had been a conflict lingering between the involved parties for a while. The head of the class and the chief of the communal college, Andreas Brinkmann, tried to pease, and calm down the heated situation.

But the argument continued in front of the communal college building. First, a man who is an acquaintance of the Syrian woman, was lightly injured in the head by a knife. Over the continuing course of the conflict, the 23-year-old, who is allegedly the boyfriend of the woman, suffered a stab in the stomach and was gravely injured. Police established a homicide team. The two suspects were arrested with the support of a special force in their apartments in Wesel.

Exact circumstances still not clarified
Police are still investigating the backgrounds of the deed, Ramon van der Maat of the Duisburg Police announces. It were still unclear who wounded the victim with the knife.

Community college chief Andreas Brinkmann and his team are shocked by the deed: “We never had anything like that before”. The German language classes at the community college existed for twelve years, currently, there are about 500 participants of different nationalities and religions taught in 30 classes – in the classes it were, apart from smaller arguments, quiet and peaceful, says Brinkmann.
(rme)

Germany – Syrians Stab Down Young German Between Christmas Market Stalls

Posted on by

An original translation from Breaking News Saarland.

Syrians Stab Man Down between Christmas Market Booths
December 17., 2017

Saarbrücken: Yesterday evening at 10:30PM, police received a report about a fight between several people with usage of weapons. According to the report, one person is lying on the ground with a stab wound, while the group of perpetrators has fled.
According to the police’s first investigations, everything starts with the to-be-victim, a 22-year-old from Homburg, and several friends (male and female) taking the train from Homburg to Saarbrücken.
On the train, a verbal argument with the to-be-attackers, three Syrian migrants of the age of 17, 19 and 20 years, occurs. The argument on the train stays verbal. After leaving the train station, the two groups take different directions. The Homburger and his friends walk through the Bahnhofstraße towards St. Johanner Markt.

In the pedestrian zone, the Syrian group ambushes them between the Christmas Market stalls. The migrants threaten the group verbally, insult them, and attack the 22-year-old Homburger with drawn weapons. According to witnesses, the perpetrators are holding a club, a sickle-knife, a throwing knife and a chain whip in their hands.
The attack lightly injures the victim. He receives a stab wound in the shoulder and at the temple, and can leave the hospital later that night.
The perpetrators only cease from their victim when more eye witnesses arrive and because there are loud calls for the police, and run away in different directions.

Three hours after the deed, the attackers were temporarily* arrested on the train to Homburg in St. Ingbert. All three of them were under the influence of narcotics. It is unclear whether this was already the case at the time of the deed. Police are looking for witnesses who can provide information about the deed, or about the prior argument on the train.

Hints: Police Office Saarbrücken-St. Johann, Karcherstraße 5, phone 06 81 / 9 32 10

* Translator’s note: Yes, “temporarily arrested”, you read that right. Saarbrücker Zeitung, who run this same story under the innocuous title “Man Injured By Knife”, close their report with: “But after the interrogations they were let go again. According to the police headquarters, there were “no reasons for arrest”.”

A chain whip

Germany: Rush At The Foodbank Causes Police Operation

Posted on by

An original translation from Der Westen:

The great rush at the food bank Gladbeckerstraße needed a police deployment of three cars. Photo: Foto: Heinrich Jung / Funke Foto Services

Bottrop. It was intended as a contemplative pre-Christmas event: the food bank Bottrop gave away small gift parcels on the third advent.

But the rush was so big already in the early morning hours that the police had to establish order in the jam. “Not all of those waiting had a command of the German language”, says Dieter Kruse, first chairman of the food bank Bottrop. “About 200 people had come – everyone wanted to be first.“

Those who were waiting in the first row were squeezed against the entrance door in the tumultuous scenes.

In order for those in need of help to form a line, the police was called. The officers, with the help of the local office of public works, erected barricades, to get order into the rush.

First persons were already waiting at 5 AM

“The first people were already there at 5AM”, Kruse continues: “But we only opened at 10AM.“

The food bank had asked the citizens of Bottrop to donate. Therefore, they were able to make the small parcels with foodstuffs.

Around noon, the situation calmed down. According to Kruse, only 10 to 15 people were waiting in front of the door at noon. There still were enough presents, the food bank had prepared 1200 small parcels.

The Christmas surprise parcels can be fetched until 4PM in the Gladbeckerstraße 108 .

(mb)

The Trump Effect Is Coming To Austria – New Government Announces Program

Posted on by

Sebastian Kurz, ÖVP, will be Europe’s youngest leader, with 31 years. FPÖ-chief Heinz-Christian Strache (r.) will be vice-chancellor.

An original translation from Die Welt:

Austrian Government Program
Asylum seekers to hand over mobile phones and cash
Austria will adopt a new style with the new ÖVP-FPÖ government. This had been clear for quite a while. But what are the plans of the coalition under the new chancellor Kurz? The government program “For our Austria”, Für unser Österreich, details it.

After seven weeks of negotiations, ÖVP and FPÖ agreed on a 182 pages strong government program for the next five years. The coalition of conservatives and right-wing-populists declare their clear dedication for the EU.

The preface of the pact says: “A strong Austria, where we can seize the opportunities of the 21st century, can only exist in a strong Europe”. A fundament of solid politics was, among others, comprised of the basic principles of the European Union. The parties’ councils approved the pact late Friday evening unanimously.

But what exactly does “Together. For our Austria” say? Some of the points were already extracted on Saturday. But what do general statements like “stop illegal migration” and “speed up asylum proceedings” really mean? These are the most important of the planned measures.

Migration and refugees

– Whoever applies for asylum in Austria will have to hand over all of his cash at the application. The sum is to be used to cover the basic supply costs.

– Asylum seekers have to hand over their mobile phones to the authorities. These will analyse the phone data, to clarify identities (for example in social networks) and to verify the denoted travel route. The smart phones won’t be completely confiscated though.

– Quicker withdrawal of protection status at travels to the homeland.

– During the asylum procedure, asylum seekers will receive non-cash benefits only, no more cash.

– The doctoral obligation to confidentiality will be suspended, when illnesses of an asylum seeker are “relevant to the basic supply”.

– Refugee children will learn German in so-called bridge classes. Until now, they were integrated directly into the school system.

– The list of safe countries of origin will be expanded.

– The monetary benefit for asylants and subsidiary protected will be reduced to a base benefit of 365 Euro and a potential integration bonus of 155 Euro. Family benefits will be capped to 1,500 Euro.

Taxes

– The government will lower the tax burden in the next five years. The lowering of the wage- and income-tax will mean keeping more net from your gross.

– Especially families will be unburdened with a tax bonus. Among others, a tax bonus of 1,500 Euros per child and family is offered.

– The tax burden will be lowered towards 40 percent.

Security

– 2,100 additional police officers will be hired during the next five years.

– Citizenship will be “newly reshaped”, according to the coalition paper. It is now defined as the “completion of a successful process of integration”.

– Closing-down of Islamic kindergartens and Islamic private schools when they do not fulfil the legal requirements.

– The government intends a dramatic toughening of punishments for sex crimes. Particularly for assaults on women and children.

– Clubs that are financed by, for example, religious societies in foreign countries, will be consequently shut down. The club law will be reworked to plug loopholes.

Employment Law

– Employment Law will be eased to make the Austrian employment market more attractive for companies.

– More flexible working hours for employees.

– considering to enshrine Christmas and holiday benefits for employees in law.

– A minimum pension of 1,200 Euros for low-paid workers after 40 years on the job.

– More funding and more positions at universities, to counteract the exodus of young scientists.

Europe

– ÖVP and FPÖ want a definite termination of the EU accession negotiations with Turkey, and they are looking for “allies” for that. Instead, Vienna wants a “European-Turkish neighbor concept”.

– The government wants to promote better coordination of the EU member states in protecting the outer European borders.

– As long as this is not secured, the national borders will be secured by all measures.

Download the full program as PDF here (in German).

Translator’s note: remember how bleak Austria’s prospects seemed not long ago.

 

Germany: Too Dangerous – Social Workers Not Allowed In Munich Refugee Homes Anymore

Posted on by

An original translation from Focus:

Munich
Too Dangerous: Social Workers Not Allowed In Refugee Accommodations On Their Own Anymore
December 14., 2017

The Social Assistance Office Munich has officially abolished the consultation of refugees by social workers in shelters where there is no security personnel. The social workers were called back even from houses where they were working in child- and youth-work, Süddeutsche Zeitung reports.

The city justified this measure in a letter to its pedagogic employees with the increase of “verbal aggression, improper social behavior, and threats”. The rule was allegedly already in place since November 7.

Andrea Betz, responsible for refugee aid at the “Innere Mission München”, criticizes the decision as a “dangerous example”,  because it was precisely the deployment of security personnel that stirred fear among the refugees, which only would make the deployment of the social workers dangerous in the first place, reports “Süddeutsche Zeitung”.

Refugees who intend to utilise social work now had to visit the social workers on their own, which allegedly only rarely happens. The city administration is allegedly considering sending social workers not on their own, but only in pairs in the accommodations.

In the meantime, 13,000 households in Munich are waiting with highest priority for council housing. But only 3,000 apartments can be assigned per year.

Scene from a Munich refugee accommodation