Firing Up Conversations: Merkel's Gathering with Refugees after a Decade
Migrants at the table with Merkel - a decade after the 2015 crisis eruption
Berlin - The world watches as former Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) gathers an eclectic group of refugees hailing from Syria, Afghanistan, and Iran for a riveting TV event. This meeting occurs ten years following the contentious wave of migration in 2015. Remarkable individuals, such as a student who sought refuge in church with her family, and a young couple who were met with protests upon their arrival in Saxony's Clausnitz in 2016, are among the participants.
Merkel (70) sheds light on the intriguing WDRforyou format, a multicultural offering from the public broadcaster Westdeutscher Rundfunk. "It's refreshing that we often discuss those who arrived in our country, but seldom converse with them directly," says the veteran stateswoman about the WDRforyou program dubbed "10 Years Later: Refugees in Dialogue with Angela Merkel."
Despite the passage of time, the conversation, recorded on June 26, 2025, in a Syrian restaurant within Berlin's heart, offers more than just a retrospective. It serves as a personal, unfiltered, and politically relevant conversation between equal parties. Moderated by Borhan Akid and Bamdad Esmaili, the discussion touches upon current issues such as border rejections, integration, family reunification, and more, potentially inciting renewed debates or reigniting old ones, as per WDR's expectations.
On June 30, 2025, this engaging exchange will be available in the ARD media library, with fragments emerged across diverse channels.
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In the midst of the general-news landscape, Hamm's latest stories include a 73-year-old missing person who was found, the celebration of Hamm-Rhynern's 1025th anniversary, and the enchanting atmosphere of three festivals at the Kurparkfestival800. On the other hand, politics takes center stage with the upcoming broadcast of a conversation between former Chancellor Angela Merkel and refugees, recorded on June 26, 2025, focusing on current issues like border rejections, integration, and family reunification.
