Update: Germany to allow teen facing deportation to stay

A Palestinian teen facing deportation, who broke down sobbing before German Chancellor Angela Merkel, has been allowed to stay in Germany, officials said Friday.

A video of her exchange with the German leader on Thursday — with Merkel's explanation on why she and her family might be deported — went viral.

One official noted that the teen speaks fluent German and has lived in Germany a long time, the Spiegel weekly reported.

The 13-year-old girl, identifed as Reem, addressed Merkel during a town hall style event called "Living Well in Germany" in the city of Rostock. She explains that she has lived in the city for four years after migrating there from Lebanon with her family, and has also learned to speak English as well as some Swedish at school. Her family is now facing deportation.

“I also have goals … just like everyone else,” she says. “I would like to study, it’s really a wish of mine, and a goal that I would really like to achieve. And it is really hard to see how others who can just enjoy that life, and not be able to enjoy that with them.”

As the TV cameras rolled, Merkel responded. 

“I understand that, however, politics is sometimes hard,” she says. “Here you are, sitting across from me, an incredibly likable person. But you know too that in the Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon that there are thousands and thousands of people. And if we were to say, ‘You can all come here, you can all come from Africa, and you can all come here,’ we just can’t manage that. And so we are in this dilemma, and the only answer we can give is to work to make sure 'the thing' is decided as quickly as possible."

"But some people will have to go back."

Moments later, as the girl began to cry, Merkel approaches her, trying to comfort her by telling her that she did well. She then responds to a comment from the moderator by saying, “I know that it is a hard situation, that is why I would like to stroke her,” as she caresses the girl’s shoulder. 

That last choice phrase led to the hashtag #MerkelStreichelt (Merkel strokes), which critics of the German leader seized on, with more than a thousand tweets in the 24 hours following the event. The word Merkel used, "streichelt" or to stroke/careess, struck many as cold or patronizing.

And many found Merkel's attempt to comfort the girl off-putting. 

The incident occurred as the debate over migration is reaching a fever pitch in Germany, which has seen a dramatic increase in migrants seeking asylum, many from Iraq, Syria and Africa. From the Guardian:  

…German towns and cities are straining to find appropriate accommodation for the large numbers of refugees entering the country, most of them via Bavaria in the south. Everything from soldiers’ barracks and empty school buildings to camping sites, shipping containers and sports halls are being used to accommodate them. 

But it also stood out because Merkel, a technocrat’s technocrat, rarely confronts people affected by government polices. 

Jan Schnorrenberg, 24, and a member of the youth wing of the oppositional green party, was one of those who chimed in on the #MerkelStreichel hashtag. Reached via email, he told us why he thought the video resonated so strongly:

My personal reaction was shame. I can understand that Merkel is not used to talking to people negatively affected by her policies. But she obviously didn’t realize that she couldn’t talk a young girl out of her worries for the future with a technocratic description of the current issue. She talked to her as if she was talking to another politican and when she began to cry she only told Reem that she did a good job describing her perspective for the audience. Reem didn’t do any “job”, she only explained how it is to live with a future clouded by the possibility of sudden deportation. Merkel's only response was to explain the current rules and that they mean that Reem may be deported regardless. This is not how you react. Not as a citizen and especially not as Head of State.

But others have defended Merkel. One commenter in the Guardian, “Christopher Mark V Lowe” echoed others when he said “Merkel correctly telling it as it is. She can’t help everybody. An honest politician.”

The German press has had mixed reactions. A few headlines:

Die Welt “The World” – right-leaning paper based in Berlin 
Merkel – nicht emotional beschränkt, nur sprachlich 
“Merkel is not emotionally hindered, just lingually”

Die Zeit “The Times” – a weekly paper:
So nah, dass es weh tut — In ihrer Kampagne “Gut Leben in Deutschland” will die Bundeskanzlerin mit den Bürgern sprechen. Was passiert, wenn sie dann echte Menschen und keine Statisten sind?  // 
So close that it hurts — In her campaign “Living Well in Germany” the chancellor wants to talk to the citizens. What happens when they are real people and not statistics?

TAZ “The Daily” – left-leaning paper based in Berlin:

Heult doch! — Ein freundliches Mädchen fordert Angela Merkel heraus. Die Botschaft der Kanzlerin: Wir schieben Dich ab. Selten ist Politik so ehrlich.
Cry Already! — A friendly girl takes on Angela Merkel. The message from the Chancellor: We will deport you. Politics are rarely so honest.

Shane Thomas McMillan contributed to this story.