Uproar over Merkel's handling of crying refugee girl
Heated debates over an emotional moment in German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s otherwise rather sober public dialogue: Merkel’s reaction to a crying refugee girl has caused quite a stir and sparked controversial discussions, especially online.
The Chancellor discussed various topics such as climate protection, equal rights and refugee policy with 29 young people at a school center in Rostock. Merkel spent several minutes talking to young Reem, who has been living in Germany for four years. The young girl also described her fear of deportation: her family had "had a hard time because we were about to be deported." She doesn't know what her future looks like. She wanted to study. Merkel remained matter-of-fact and pointed out above all that asylum procedures needed to be speeded up until a decision was made. As the conversation drew to a close, young Reem finally began to cry. Merkel faltered briefly and then approached the girl, stroked her head and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
Debates in social networks
"You did a great job," said the Chancellor at first. The moderator of the event interjected at that moment that he did not believe "that it was about prima-facing, but that it was of course a very stressful situation", to which Merkel replied: "I know that it is a stressful situation. That's why I would still like to give her a pat." This sentence and Merkel's reaction sparked heated debate on social media. Numerous people commented on the Chancellor's behavior under the hashtag #merkelstreichelt. Her treatment of the girl was criticized as insensitive. But others also defended Merkel. (SDA)
