Germany welcomed more than 1.2 million refugees and asylum seekers in 2015 and 2016, at the height of the migrant crisis, notably fueled by the war in Syria.
Le Monde with AFP
Distinguished for her “great moral and political courage”, Angela Merkel received, Tuesday, October 4, the Nansen Prize, the highest distinction of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which honors the determination of The ex-German accused to accommodate asylum seekers when she was in office.
Recalling that Germany had welcomed more than 1.2 million refugees and asylum seekers in 2015 and 2016, at the height of the migrant crisis, notably fueled by the war in Syria, the selection committee of the selection committee HCR praised “the leadership, courage and compassion” of M Me Merkel, Chancellor from 2005 to 2021. At the time, M Me Merkel, who led Germany for sixteen years, had judged that the situation was “a test for [the] European values as rarely before”, noting “a humanitarian imperative”.
“a real leadership”
The head of UNHCR, Filippo Grandi, praised the determination of the former leader to protect asylum seekers and defend human rights and humanitarian principles. “It was a real leadership using our compassion for everyone, remaining firm in the face of those who preached fear and discrimination,” said Mr. Grandi in a press release, adding:
“She [M Me Merkel] showed what can be accomplished when politicians follow the good line of conduct and work to find solutions to global challenges, rather than simply transfer the responsibility to others. “
The selection committee recalled that in addition to protecting people fleeing the war, M Me Merkel was the driving force behind German collective efforts to receive and integrate refugees.
The Nansen Prize, awarded each year, was created in 1954 in honor of the first UN High Commissioner for Refugees, the Norwegian and humanitarian Arctic Explorer Fridtjof Nansen (1861-1930), to reward exceptional achievements in the humanitarian field. Angela Merkel will receive its price and the $ 150,000 (151,500 euros) which accompany it during a ceremony in Geneva, Switzerland, October 10.