German media on the refugee crisis: how the refugees-welcome campaign has backfired

By LSE MSc student Franziska Zimmerer Historically, Germany has not got a great international reputation for hospitality. But one year ago, in summer 2015, at the peak of the European refugee crisis the world suddenly looked at the Germany differently. Ten thousand refugees from the Middle East and South-Eastern Europe arrived there each day, welcomed by applauding crowds at the train stations. Germany was seen as open-minded, welcoming and humanitarian, perhaps for the first time recent times