Germans braced for neo-Nazi backlash over immigrants
Local authorities had imposed the ban to prevent a repeat of neo-Nazi riots seen outside a refugee shelter last weekend, in which dozens of police officers were injured.
Johannes Dimroth, a spokesman for Germany’s interior ministry, said federal police would be sent to Heidenau to support local forces. He was unable immediately to say how many officers would be deployed.
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Hide AdSupporters of refugees plan to hold a welcome party in Heidenau, where far-right groups had also called for protests at the site yesterday.
“We’ve already made one step in the right direction,” with the decision to provide help, Ms Merkel said, adding that federal authorities would “do everything within their power in order to support the Saxony police.”
More generally, Ms Merkel said European Union interior ministers meeting this weekend would be looking into “rapid changes to the asylum system.”
She said Greece and Italy needed to be supported with common registration centres equipped with “European-wide personnel,” but also with the assurance that the migrants coming in would then be distributed around Europe.
Germany, which expects some 800,000 migrants this year, has complained many others in Europe aren’t pulling their weight in dealing with the influx.
“There has to be a fair distribution of refugees and asylum seekers who are deemed eligible,” she said, speaking at a press conference with Danish prime minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen.