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EU Observer (29 January 2026)

Shimaa Samy

As Germany debates new asylum restrictions and far-right parties gain ground, migration has become a symbol of broader fears about an unstable world.

Ten years ago, Germany symbolised Europe’s ‘Willkommenskultur’ [Welcome Culture]. 

Chancellor Angela Merkel’s decision to open borders to refugees in 2015 was framed as a moral and historical responsibility. Public discourse centred on solidarity, integration and humanitarian duty.

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