German politicians have warned of an increased risk of terrorism after the country’s foreign minister Annalena Baerbock agreed to take in up to 320 refugees from Gaza.
According to leaked information revealed by Bild newspaper, those being let into the country are either German citizens or those related to German citizens.
The Federal Foreign Office has so far not disclosed what percentage of the arrivals are German citizens, with elected officials expressing concern that Germany could be importing possible terrorists.
“The Federal Government must ensure that it does not bring Hamas supporters or even terrorist murderers into the country,” senior Christian Social Union (CSU) MP Andrea Lindholz said in the wake of the revelation.
Lindholz went on to advocate for the German Government to work closely with the Israeli authorities to ensure that does not happen.
Speaking to Brussels Signal, Maximilian Krah MEP of the populist Alternative für Deutschland party criticised Germany’s failure to seek “diplomatic solutions” to the current conflict.
“When the war broke out, AfD immediately warned that any escalation would bring new mass migration to Europe, especially Germany,” he said.
“Unfortunately, too many European politicians, including many on the right, did not understand the dangers and risks and hence univocally supported the military escalation.”
“Now we see what that means: a new wave of immigrants we can‘t integrate and who will never succeed in Europe but rather increase our problems,” he added, calling for Germany to adopt a “new, interest-led, realistic foreign policy” rather than a “so-called value-based Neocon-approach”.
Germany is going to be overwhelmed by Turkish migrants rushing for naturalisation should the country’s government reform its citizenship law, according to critics including Christian Democrat MP Alexander Dobrindt. https://t.co/ur0uukmGzd
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) August 25, 2023
Other members of the AfD also criticised the admission of migrants as posing a security threat to Germany.
“Security authorities warn that Hamas terrorists could come to us disguised as people seeking protection,” AfD MP Martin Hess warned, claiming that officials from Jordan and Egypt had refused to take migrants from Gaza for that reason.
In Isreal, one minister advocated that Ireland take in displaced Palestinians as refugees.
“They can go to Ireland or deserts,” heritage minister Amichai Eliyahu remarked, adding that the “monsters in Gaza” should be forced to look after any possible relocation from the territory themselves.
Germany’s left-leaning Die Linke party has given Carlota Rackete, a migrant activist and NGO vessel captain operating in the Mediterranean, a spot on its European Parliament electoral list. https://t.co/FJkxDJafP3
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) July 18, 2023
