The German chancellor has vowed to do "everything" in support of those affected by controversial ban. A German opposition leader has threatened legal action, saying it could head to the European Court of Justice.
Image: Reuters/D. Ryder
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Protests continue over Trump's travel ban
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German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday renewed criticism of a US immigration order that bans citizens from seven Muslim-majority countries and blocks refugee admissions.
"The necessary and decisive battle against terrorism does not in any way justify putting groups of certain people under general suspicion, in this case people of Muslim belief or of a certain origin," Merkel told reporters in Berlin.
US President Donald Trump's executive order restricting travel to the country has created chaos at airports and prompted widespread criticism in the US and abroad.
The chancellor, known for her open-door policy for those fleeing war, said the travel ban contradicts "the base concept of international aid for refugees," noting that the German government is consulting with other European nations concerning the issue.
"The chancellery and the foreign ministry will do everything they can, especially for those dual citizens affected, to clear up the legal ramifications and to emphatically represent their interests under the law," she said.
The travel ban has affected German lawmakers, including Omid Nouripour, a dual national who serves as the vice-chair of the Germany-US parliamentary friendship aimed at strengthening transatlantic relations between to the two nations.
Nouripour, who has visited more than 40 US states, told DW on Sunday that the travel ban isn't about security, but instead about "dirty symbolism which [is] poisoning our societies."
Protests continue over Trump's travel ban
01:33
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'Crusade against Muslims'
German opposition leader Katja Kipping, who serves as chairperson for the Left Party, said on Monday that the party is exploring legal routes to challenge Trump's immigration order.
In a tweet, she called on Merkel to summon the US ambassador to Germany and make a complaint to the UN via the EU.
"This is a crusade against Muslims, but also a crusade against civil rights," Kipping told German broadcaster N-TV.
"One must also say, if the federal chancellor does not act, then every citizen here has the right to sue against inaction at the European Court of Justice," she added.
In the US, four federal judges have moved to halt deportations, with civil rights lawyers warning that the legal battle could head to the Supreme Court.
The travel ban targets passport-holders from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen for 90 days, as well as indefinitely blocks refugees from entering the country.
Meanwhile, some US-based researchers have questioned why countries such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates have not been targeted by the ban, which Trump says will curb the threat of Islamist terrorism.
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.
