At a federal press conference on 31 August 2015, Germany's former Federal Chancellor, Angela Merkel, launched the "welcome culture" policy in a single sentence. This decision would prove devastating for Europe, and especially for Germany and Austria. What followed was an unprecedented migration involving hundreds of thousands of refugees from the Middle East and North Africa, who stormed the borders unchecked, unregistered, and unhindered, crying "asylum."
Gerald Grosz ruthlessly exposes the severe consequences for Germany and Austria, while inviting prominent and directly involved figures - including V clav Klaus, Hans-Georg Maa en, Herbert Kickl, Harald Vilimsky, and Tino Chrupalla - to assess the development of the refugee crisis from their perspectives. The disastrous effects on society, the economy, education, security, and Europe's social systems are now clearly noticeable. Violence in schools, the formation of parallel societies, terrorist attacks, and so-called "isolated incidents" have sadly become commonplace. Vienna School principal Christian Klar paints a bleak picture of present-day school life, while Ann-Marie's parents and Leonie's mother describe the suffering caused by the brutal murder of their children, and the lasting impact on their families and friends. Drawing on some of the most incisive texts on the subject from 2017 to 2025, Gerald Grosz puts his finger on the sore spot and articulates what finally needs to be said.