Friday, 5 February 2016

A Nigerian migrant in Germany says he is being stopped by Police 'on every corner'


Germans are worried about the number of asylum seekers who have been allowed into the country following incidents of sexual assaults and muggings in Cologne New Year's Eve and at the city's ongoing annual festival which were mostly blamed on migrants who "looked like they were from north Africa" .



22-year-old Nigerian Fidelis is among more than a million migrants who arrived in Germany in 2015. According to BBC, he fled fighting in Libya and travelled to Italy before making his way to Germany nine months ago.


Fidelis told the BBC Newsbeat that he was stopped "on every corner" on the opening night of Cologne's annual carnival.
"I am very worried. Police have been checking my papers. They've asked me Where are you from? Are you from Africa? Can I see you papers? I'm very embarrassed"

There were protests all over Cologne in January and German Chancellor Angela Merkel made it easier to make asylum seekers who commit crimes leave the country. Thirty-five suspects are being investigated over the attacks with two men - a Tunisian and a Moroccan - charged.

Fidelis who worked at a bar in Libya, says he loves living in Germany but when he heard what happened on New Year's Eve - he knew people would treat him differently.
"I was praying to my god. I watched it on the TV station. It was like something I couldn't expect was happening by some people who I don't know. I don't know who these people are."

He thinks people should be more open minded.

"Africans are all different. You see white [people] in Africa you see black [people]. People need to see this"

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