segunda-feira, 28 de novembro de 2016

Migrants must be screened: Cologne attacks report


Migrants must be screened: Cologne attacks report
Close to 900 cases of sexual abuse in public spaces were recorded on New Year’s Eve 2015 in Germany.

By ESTHER KING 11/28/16, 8:45 AM CET Updated 11/28/16, 8:50 AM CET

A report on the mass sexual assaults carried out in Cologne on New Year’s Eve 2015 recommends better screening of migrants and closer cross-border cooperation, German newspaper Die Zeit reported Monday.

A panel of experts from seven state criminal police agencies, alongside the federal police office, will present their analysis of the Cologne attacks at a meeting of German interior ministers in Saarbrücken on Tuesday, according to Kölner Express, which obtained a copy of the 60-page secret report.

The Federal Criminal Police Office revealed 881 cases of sexual abuse in public spaces were recorded on the night of December 31, 2015 in Cologne, Düsseldorf, Hamburg, Frankfurt and Stuttgart. Most victims were 18 to 24-year-old women and the majority of perpetrators were reported to be from Algeria, Morocco and Iraq.

The incident cast serious doubt over German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s open-door refugee policy and sparked a debate over how to handle migrants who committed criminal offenses. Law enforcement officials came under sharp criticism for failing to prevent the wave of assaults and for the way they communicated with the public. Cologne’s local police chief was forced to step down in the aftermath.

The report made several recommendations to prevent similar attacks in public spaces, such as reinforcing police crowd management resources and increasing police presence through “mobile departments” to deter potential perpetrators and encourage victims to report incidents.

Refugees rest aboard the Topaz Responder ship run by Maltese NGO Moas and Italian Red Cross on November 5, 2016 off the coast of Libya

It also noted the need for better screening of migrants arriving in Germany, both as a preventative measure and to assist criminal investigations with better information. The report recommended investing in better integration and language courses for migrants, saying a lack of social recognition and barriers to personal contact with locals could lead to frustration.

Exchanging data with other countries is also crucial, the report said, suggesting the use of Europol “mobile offices” to enhance cooperation.

“Legal vacuums cannot exit in reality or in personal experience,” the report said, according to Kölner Express.

Authors:


Esther King  

Sem comentários: