Merkel Defends Handling of Refugee Crisis After Terror Attacks
- Chancellor says attacks by refugees ‘mock’ German hospitality
- Merkel repeats ‘We can do this’ as chorus of critics grows
Angela Merkel
Photographer: Krisztian Bocsi/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Chancellor Angela Merkel defended her handling of the refugee crisis and vowed swift action against those who commit terrorism following a spate of violent attacks that have shaken the German public and sparked renewed criticism of her migration policies.
Even as the German leader used tough language to say asylum seekers who committed attacks “mocked the country” sheltering them, she reprised her stock phrase from speeches last year at height of the refugee influx -- “we can do this” -- to fend off critics accusing her of failing to ensure security.