Europe’s migration crisis – Five years on | DW News

Five years ago, in the summer of 2015, Europe faced its biggest migration crisis since the Second World War. Hundreds of thousands of desperate people fleeing war and economic hardship tried to reach the continent. The largest group of migrants making the perilous journey came from Syria, where four years of civil war had forced them to flee. President Bashar al-Assad's forces had increased their attacks on opposition strongholds and the so-called Islamic State was gaining strength. But people from many other countries, including Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan and Eritrea, also left their homelands in search of a better future in Europe.
Faced with an unprecedented migration influx, Chancellor Angela Merkel's government decided to open Germany's borders, and almost a million migrants claimed asylum here. As part of our series looking back on that summer five years ago, we met up with two of those migrants. In 2015 both were full of hope, but now they face very different futures.


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[edpiv]

You left your wife and kids in a war zone?

[davidjohnston]

One speaks German and works hard, the other could not yet and is not well and is lying down during the interview. He could not support his kids. The German taxpayers would have to.

[hildaelson]

The second bloke clearly lied about his age. He looks 50 at the youngest.

[davidgodley]

Most of them are young men. Almost no women and children. This is very suspicious!!!

[Michelrs]

if you live in a poor country in horrible condition you should not create 4 CHILDREN!

[NoctLightCloud]

that guy leaving his daughter because he found military service too long is a coward who does not deserve kids nor freedom. His country will NEVER become better because it's full of people like him. When there's war, brave men stay. He flees even in peaceful times and leaves misery. Why did he even make a child??

[padmashrishelar]

I am an Indian, no matter how much the world criticizes us, but when we go to another country we follow their rules, adapt to their culture and most definitely don't live on benefits from their tax payers, we find a job, even though we are paid less, we pay the taxes.

[Makakogod]

We Europeans will become museum exhibits soon. So sad.

[ironfromicey]

People must not forgot that we are european, not american we arent immigrants these have always been our lands. Like the native Americans we don't want people to change how we live in our own country.

[wiseoldwizard]

Why Europe and not Saudi but they surely like showing off there Luxurious cars and shining sky scrapers.

[julonkrutor]

So, the doctor has made an affored to integrate and is happy ... the other one dose not even speak german and has a bad time.

Call me Sherlock, i see a the difference.

[lottewied]

Crime went up drastically in Europe since 2015.

[truebro]

Also, why is it always fighting age men? Do the women and children just get left behind??

[ian]

Update: It’s February 2021, we still haven’t managed it.

[tarunmathew]

Eritrean misses his daughters but is totally fine leaving them alone in his country! I dont think he has assimilated into Germany and he has an obligation to take care of his kids bu going back to Eritrea.

[mergen]

It's really impressive how fluent the doctor's German is.

[hahn]

Inviting millions of immigrates to the eu, who haven’t nearly the same culture, language, religion, manners, worldview, image of women and almost all of them are young men’s.. what could possibly go wrong ;)

[generalmartok]

I'm sure the comments will be full of civil and reasonable people.

[laszloiso]

Why not let that poor Eritrean man unite with his children in Eritrea??? ... Because there is no GERMAN SOCIAL MONEY RIGHT???

[bitflower]

So he left his family behind, hasn’t adapted to the culture, or even tried learning the language. Charming.