In waves

Some nine years ago: ‘We can do it!’. Today: ‘Enough is enough!’. The debates on asylum policy are becoming increasingly heated, as are the measures taken to fend off refugees. In 2015, the German government kept the borders open for people seeking protection. For a few days now, random checks have been carried out at all German borders. Some neighbouring European countries are outraged by the unilateral step. And here in Germany, many lawyers are critical of Germany’s attempt to keep asylum seekers out. But the CDU and CSU sister parties – increasingly since the suspected Islamist fatal knife attack in Solingen – are continuing to push the red-green-yellow coalition while themselves under pressure from the far-right AfD. The AfD views the border controls and planned further restrictions in refugee legislation as a success for their propaganda.

Heated public debates about migration are, of course, just as common as the reflex to make refugee law increasingly restrictive. Both have been recurring in waves for decades. What these debates and measures mean for asylum seekers in particular, why they embark on the dangerous journey to Europe, what they experience on the way and when they arrive at their destination, is shown by outstanding contributions that have been nominated for or honoured with the European CIVIS Media Prize for Integration and Cultural Diversity. A selection of these contributions for television, radio, internet and cinema can be found here.