Chancellor Angela Merkel has confirmed her confidence around her ‘We can do this’ commitment to managing the migrant situation. In a television interview, Merkel said European countries needed to do more.
In an interview on Sunday, Chancellor Angela Merkel defended her refugee policy, saying that she had made it clear last year that it would be a big task integrating migrants coming to Germany, DPA reported.
“We have achieved a lot since then and we need to do some more,” Merkel told the presenters, referring to her famous slogan, “Wir schaffen das,” German for, “We can do this.”
“We are at a completely different position since last year,” Merkel said, adding that the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) had thousands of new employees dealing with the newcomers. The government in Berlin is supporting local administrations and state governments in overcoming the crisis. There were new and stricter rules for refugees who could not stay in Germany and migrants were being told they needed to integrate and learn German, Merkel told ARD.
Merkel also addressed the distribution of migrants within Europe, saying that the European Union needed to find a common solution. “Every member must do their share,” Merkel said, adding that countries could not just reject migrants because they were Muslims. The bloc also needed to work on a coherent internal security policy and the implementation of the refugee pact with Turkey, the chancellor said.
Chancellor Merkel emphasized the bloc’s discussions with Britain on the latter’s exit from the European Union, saying that the Brexit was a break from the past and member states needed to think about a solution in peace. “We all agree in the European Union that Britain’s exit, the result of the referendum, will have a big impact … Rather than rushing into activities, we should perhaps first take time to think about what we, as the 27 countries, must do better.”
