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Germany Conflicted the Struggle Between Xenophobia and Tolerance Germany Conflicted The Struggle Between Xenophobia and Tolerance February 2017 ON HUMAN RIGHTS, the United States must be a beacon. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Activists fighting for freedom around the globe continue to Research for this report was conducted by Susan Corke look to us for inspiration and count on us for support. and Erika Asgeirsson at Human Rights First and a team from Upholding human rights is not only a moral obligation; it’s a the University of Munich: Heather Painter, Britta vital national interest. America is strongest when our policies Schellenberg, and Klaus Wahl. Much of the research and actions match our values. consisted of interviews and consultations with human rights Human Rights First is an independent advocacy and action activists, government officials, national and international organization that challenges America to live up to its ideals. NGOs, multinational bodies, faith and interfaith groups, We believe American leadership is essential in the struggle scholars, and attorneys. We greatly appreciate their for human rights so we press the U.S. government and assistance and expertise. Rebecca Sheff, the former legal private companies to respect human rights and the rule of fellow with the antisemitism and extremism team, also law. When they don’t, we step in to demand reform, contributed to the research for this report during her time at accountability, and justice. Around the world, we work where Human Rights First. We are grateful for the team at Dechert we can best harness American influence to secure core LLP for their pro bono research on German law. At Human freedoms. Rights First, thanks to Sarah Graham for graphics and design; Meredith Kucherov and David Mizner for editorial We know that it is not enough to expose and protest injustice, assistance; Dora Illei for her research assistance; and so we create the political environment and policy solutions the communications team for their work on this report. necessary to ensure consistent respect for human rights. Whether we are protecting refugees, combating torture, or We would like to give a special thanks to our defending persecuted minorities, we focus not on making a supporters. Major support for this report and Human Rights point, but on making a difference. For over 30 years, we’ve First's work on combatting antisemitism and extremism was built bipartisan coalitions and teamed up with frontline provided by: Anonymous, The David Berg Foundation, Anne activists and lawyers to tackle issues that demand American Cowett, Henry M. Jackson Foundation, Roberta and Brad leadership. Karp, Annette M. and Theodore N. Lerner Family Foundation, Arthur and Toni Rembe Rock, Elliot Schrage and Human Rights First is a nonprofit, nonpartisan international Juliet Whitcomb, Alan B. Slifka Foundation, Lois and Arthur human rights organization based in New York and Stainman, and Tali Farhadian Weinstein and Boaz Washington D.C. To maintain our independence, we accept Weinstein. no government funding. COVER: AP Photo / Martin Meissner © 2017 Human Rights First All Rights Reserved. This report is available online at humanrightsfirst.org Contents Executive Summary ...................................................................................................... 1 Historical Analysis ........................................................................................................ 4 Changing Political Structures in Germany and the East/West Divide: 1848— Today ........................................................................................................................................... 4 Immigration Patterns to Germany ................................................................................................ 6 Current Trends ............................................................................................................ 11 Enmity against Certain Groups and Radical Right Ideologies ................................................... 11 Institutional and Structural Discrimination .................................................................................. 17 The Rise of Far-Right Parties, Movements and Organizations ................................................. 18 Politically Motivated Crimes and Hate Crimes ........................................................................... 20 Analysis: Causes and Catalysts ................................................................................ 24 Causes of Pejorative Attitudes and Right-wing Extremism ........................................................ 24 Right-wing Beliefs and Violence ................................................................................................. 25 An Enabling Environment: What is Contributing? ...................................................................... 26 Institutional Responses to Counter Xenophobia and Extremism ........................... 28 German Government ................................................................................................................. 28 Civil Society Responses ............................................................................................................. 36 U.S. Government Responses .................................................................................................... 37 Technology Companies ............................................................................................................. 39 Recommendations ...................................................................................................... 40 Countering Extremism and Promoting Tolerance ...................................................................... 40 Addressing Institutional Racism in Law Enforcement ................................................................ 42 Strengthening Responses to Hate Crime .................................................................................. 43 Refugee Policy and Integration .................................................................................................. 43 Hate Online ................................................................................................................................ 44 Strengthening the Role of Civil Society ...................................................................................... 45 Endnotes ..................................................................................................................... 47 GERMANY CONFLICTED 1 Executive Summary As support for far-right movements grow along with expressions of hatred, Germans’ acceptance Germany is at a tipping point as it heads into of inclusive, liberal democracy is perhaps important national elections in 2017. Hate crimes, counterintuitively becoming more widespread. particularly those associated with xenophobia, Several factors explain this complicated and have increased drastically—from 5,858 cases in seemingly contradictory state. Germany’s post- 2014 to 10,373 in 2015.1 From 2014 to 2015 World War II history continues to inform and give crimes against asylum refugee shelters, including shape to current trends. The connective power violent attacks, more than quintupled.2 Police and relative anonymity of the Internet has proved reported three hundred crimes against asylum a powerful force for degrading Germany’s shelters in the first quarter of 2016, exceeding the longstanding postwar taboo against publicly total number in 2014 and on par with the elevated espousing xenophobic, ultra-nationalist, and racist levels of 2015.3 views. AfD, PEGIDA, and likeminded groups have both benefitted from and contributed to evolving Germany has been a leader within Europe on the social mores, resulting in a climate in which refugee crisis, maintaining a welcoming policy Germans who nurture intolerant views in private toward those fleeing violence and persecution. are now more willing to express them publicly. However, the uneven implementation of this policy Thus, while surveys do not show a greater portion has exacerbated existing social divides. Because of Germans evincing intolerant views, those who the German government failed in important ways do hold such views are becoming more to adequately prepare the country to receive connected, public, politically active, tech-savvy, refugees, many in Germany perceive that the and accepting of violence. Institutional situation has spiraled out of control. discrimination, a persistent problem, also gives a New far-right parties and movements such as the green light to hatred, catalyzing violence. Alternative for Germany (AfD) and Patriotic While Germany’s history makes it unique, its Europeans against the Islamization of the West struggle against xenophobia-fueled illiberalism is (PEGIDA) have emerged in the past few years by increasingly representative of trends buffeting capitalizing on Euroskepticism and xenophobic Europe and the United States. Across the Atlantic fear. Supporters of these groups’ ideologies are —in societies roiled by social change, primarily responsible for a surge in hate crimes. In globalization, and terrorism—demagogic leaders 2015 the Ministry of the Interior reported that right- and far-right movements are magnifying and wing extremists committed 90 percent of all hate leveraging hatred toward ethnic, racial, and crimes—including 96 percent of xenophobic hate religious minorities. Evidence of this trend can be crimes—91 percent of antisemitic hate crimes, seen in France where Marine LePen’s anti-Islam, and 98 percent of racist hate
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