Frauke Petry's ‘shoot migrants’ remarks dismissed in Germany

Germany’s interior ministry dismissed remarks from a populist politician who called for police to be given powers to use firearms against illegal migrants, pointing out such shootings would be illegal.

The suggestion by Frauke Petry, leader of the anti- immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, has fuelled an already heated debate about chancellor Angela Merkel’s decision to open the doors to refugees.

“It goes without saying: no German policeman will use a firearm against people who are searching for protection in Germany,” spokesman for the Interior Ministry, Johannes Dimroth, told a news conference.

“And it goes without saying that the use of firearms against people to stop an illegal border crossing is unlawful.”

Vice chancellor Sigmar Gabriel, whose left-leaning Social Democrats are junior partners of Merkel’s conservatives in the coalition, said Germany’s domestic intelligence agency (BfV) should monitor the AfD.

“To me, the AfD belongs in the BfV report and not on television,” Gabriel told Bild newspaper.

“It is unbelievable that such parties may now excrete their slogans on public television.”

Merkel spokesman Steffen Seibert said Petry had “disqualified herself” with such remarks.