A recent survey commissioned by German newspaper Bild and carried out by INSA revealed that the mood in Germany has changed and that the majority of German residents are currently opposed to Merkel's strategy.
"The figures impressively proved that the atmosphere has actually changed. While originally a relative majority backed up [Merkel's] refugee policy, the attitude has now witnessed the U-turn," INSA representative Hermann Binkert explained, cited by German magazine Focus Online.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has lately been repeatedly criticized for her policy of open doors toward refugees, which initially had been supported by many country's residents. However, the increasing influx of migrants to Germany has raised concerns in many German states, with asylum seekers creating a huge burden on local authorities.
For many months, Europe has struggled to find a solution to the massive refugee crisis, with millions of refugees fleeing conflict-torn countries in the Middle East and North Africa. The EU border agency Frontex detected over 1.83 million illegal border crossings in 2015. More than 1.1 million entered Germany in 2015 alone.
