Asylum-seeker's sculpture for Merkel triggers raid
December 28, 2016
Two asylum-seekers tried to send a thank you package addressed to Chancellor Angela Merkel and ended up triggering a police response. Germany is on edge over the threat of terrorism.
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German police raided a gas station on Tuesday after two asylum-seekers dropped off a package addressed to Chancellor Angela Merkel.
The father and son, who the "Rhein Zeitung" newspaper reported came from Iran, dropped off a package packed in banana boxes at a local gas station that doubles as a post office. The gas station attendant was suspicious of the package and called the police in the town of Naunheim in the western state of Rhineland-Palatinate. Nine officers responded to the scene with a sniffer dog but found no sign of explosives.
"The gas station employee was suspicious in light of incidents in recent weeks," a police spokesperson told DPA news agency, referring to an attack this month at a Christmas market in Berlin that killed 12 people.
Police searched for the father and son to have them open the package. Inside was a wooden sculpture depicting a woman between the Syrian and German flags. The father had carved the sculpture to show solidarity with Germany.
"My father had made the sculpture for Angela Merkel, for Germany, as a thank you that we are able to be here," the son told the "Rhein-Zeitung."
The father and son were asked to take the sculpture with them.
"We would still like to send the sculpture to the chancellor. But at the moment we don't know how to get it to her," the son said.
How did Europe's refugee crisis start?
From escalating violence in the Middle East and Africa to incoherent asylum policy at home - DW looks at how the EU has found itself in the midst of a refugee crisis.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
Fleeing war and poverty
In late 2014, with the war in Syria approaching its fourth year and Islamic State making gains in the north of the country, the exodus of Syrians intensified. At the same time, others were fleeing violence and poverty in countries such as Iraq, Afghanistan, Eritrea, Somalia, Niger and Kosovo.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
Seeking refuge over the border
Vast numbers of Syrian refugees had been gathering in border-town camps in neighboring Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan since 2011. By 2015, with the camps full to bursting and residents often unable to find work or educate their children, more and more people decided to seek asylum further afield.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
A long journey on foot
In 2015 an estimated 1.5 million people made their way on foot from Greece towards western Europe via the "Balkan route". The Schengen Agreement, which allows passport-free travel within much of the EU, was called into question as refugees headed towards the wealthier European nations.
Image: Getty Images/M. Cardy
Desperate sea crossings
Tens of thousands of refugees were also attempting the perilous journey across the Mediterranean on overcrowded boats. In April 2015, 800 people of various nationalities drowned when a boat traveling from Libya capsized off the Italian coast. This was to be just one of many similar tragedies - by the end of the year, nearly 4,000 refugees were reported to have died attempting the crossing.
Image: Reuters/D. Zammit Lupi
Pressure on the borders
Countries along the EU's external border struggled to cope with the sheer number of arrivals. Fences were erected in Hungary, Slovenia, Macedonia and Austria. Asylum laws were tightened and several Schengen area countries introduced temporary border controls.
Image: picture-alliance/epa/B. Mohai
Closing the open door
Critics of German Chancellor Angela Merkel's "open-door" refugee policy claimed it had made the situation worse by encouraging more people to embark on the dangerous journey to Europe. By September 2016, Germany had also introduced temporary checks on its border with Austria.
Image: Reuters/F. Bensch
Striking a deal with Turkey
In early 2016, the EU and Turkey signed an agreement under which refugees arriving in Greece could be sent back to Turkey. The deal has been criticized by human rights groups and came under new strain following a vote by the European Parliament in November to freeze talks on Turkey's potential accession to the EU.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/A. Altan
No end in sight
With anti-immigration sentiment in Europe growing, governments are still struggling to reach a consensus on how to handle the continuing refugee crisis. Attempts to introduce quotas for the distribution of refugees among EU member states have largely failed. Conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere show no signs coming to an end, and the death toll from refugee sea crossings is on the rise.