German right-leaning AfD leader calls for police right to shoot at refugees

Alternative for Germany (AfD) leader Frauke Petry said in an interview on 30 January 2016 that police should have the right to shoot illegal migrants at the border 'if necessary.'

The comments were met with outrage from leftwing parties and condemned by the German police union. German vice-chancellor Sigmar Gabriel later called for the party to be watched by intelligence services.

Bernd Lucke - who founded the AfD as an anti-Euro currency party in 2013 - said that 'how the AfD are acting in the refugee debate is inhuman, cruel and unbearable'.

Spiegel Online International wrote in an article on the 10 February 2016 'The Alternative for Germany was born as an anti-euro movement. But it has since positioned itself far to the populist right. Despite its efforts at maintaining respectability, the party's extremist flank is wide open'.

• Primary Source

ESO: Background information: The rise of the AfD after Cologne poses a serious challenge for Merkel’s policy on refugees http://www.europeansources.info/record/the-rise-of-the-afd-after-cologne-poses-a-serious-challenge-for-merkels-policy-on-refugees/

Politico, 01.02.16: German far-right slammed for ‘shoot refugees’ remark http://www.politico.eu/article/afd-petry-german-far-right-slammed-for-shoot-refugees-remark/

EUObserver, 02.02.16: German AfD party reviled over 'shoot refugees' comments https://euobserver.com/migration/132100

Euronews, 30.01.16: Germany: AfD leader calls for right of border police to shoot at illegal migrants http://www.euronews.com/2016/01/30/germany-afd-leader-calls-for-right-of-border-police-to-shoot-at-illegal-migrants/

Deutsche Welle, 31.01.16: German vice chancellor: Monitor AfD after call to shoot at refugees http://dw.com/p/1HmQU

The Local.de, 31.01.16: Police 'should threaten to shoot migrants': AFD http://www.thelocal.de/20160131/border-police-should-threaten-to-shoot-migrants-afd

Sputnik International, 31.01.16: Support for Merkel Slips as German Eurosceptics Eye New Election Gains http://sptnkne.ws/a74M

BBC News, 30.01.16: German police 'should shoot at migrants', populist politician says http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-35452306

Deutsche Welle, 01.02.16: AfD deputy backpedals on shooting at refugee children http://dw.com/p/1Hmig

Euro|Topics: Debates, 02.02.16: Orders to shoot refugees? http://www.eurotopics.net/en/153043/orders-to-shoot-refugees

ESO: Background information: German coalition approves tighter asylum rules http://www.europeansources.info/record/german-coalition-approves-tighter-asylum-rules/

ESO: Information Guide: European Migration Challenges http://www.europeansources.info/record/information-guide-european-migration-challenges/

The Local.de, 02.02.16: AfD ‘inhuman, unbearable and cruel’, says party founder http://www.thelocal.de/20160202/afd-is-inhuman-cruel-and-unbearable-says-ex-leader

Politico, 04.02.16: Merkel’s approval rating tumbles as AfD climbs http://www.politico.eu/article/german-chancellor-angela-merkel-approval-rating-tumbles-as-afd-climbs-anti-immigrant-policy-on-refugees/

Spiegel Online International, 10.02.16: The Hate Preachers: Inside Germany's Dangerous New Populist Party http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/alternative-for-germany-shows-its-true-right-wing-colors-a-1076259.html

Deutsche Welle, 16.02.16: Oettinger says he'd rather shoot himself than have anti-migrant AfD chief Petry as his wife http://dw.com/p/1HwSs

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