Ten years ago yesterday, then German chancellor Angela Merkel said what would become her defining catchphrase: “Wir schaffen das.” In English, “we can do it.” She was, of course, referring to the open-borders policy she was about to foist upon Germany and its people.
The invitation was only supposed to be for Syrians, who were fleeing from their country’s civil war. Shortly before Merkel’s famous speech, an internal communication, Instruction 93605/Syria/2015, had directed German authorities to allow entry to anyone claiming to be from Syria, even without documentation. The official Twitter account for the Federal Office for Migration made a post, intended primarily to inform journalists, that “regulations for Syrian citizens are not currently, for the most part, being implemented by us.” The message quickly went far beyond the intended audience, and spread like wildfire among the refugee camps of Turkey, Lebanon, and Jordan. It was spread on Facebook groups and passed around in group chats, encouraging migrants of all nationalities—certainly not just Syrians—to make the journey to Germany.
