A humanitarian role model

Abstract

Abstract Germany has taken in the largest share of refugees from Syria and the Middle East among the member states in the EU. Chapter 5 argues that the open policy of the grand coalition government of Angela Merkel was primarily based on the presumption that Germany is not only morally committed to but also legally bound by international law and its own constitutional right to asylum. This bond is derived from the “sanctity” of the German Basic Law in Germany’s postwar political culture, which enshrined the principles of human dignity and the right to asylum as a consequence of the experience of National Socialism. In contrast to Poland, the cultural background of the refugees was de-emphasized, while their humanitarian need was highlighted. This framing was shared by all major parties in parliament, thus creating an opportunity for the rise of the populist right-wing party “Alternative for Germany” (AfD) on an anti-refugee platform.