Some facts:
Tunisia is also one of the countries that Germany doesn't accept asylum seekers or refugees from...
- In 2010 Anis Amri, the suspect now being hunted for the Berlin terror attack, was accused of stealing a lorry in his homeland of Tunisia. His family say he drank, had girlfriends, and was not overtly religious.
- In February 2011 he was charged with armed robbery but fled the country. He was convicted in his absence and handed a five year sentence.
- He went to Italy, where he he claimed asylum as a minor - he was probably about 17 at the time - but after a series of crimes including arson at a school he was given a four year jail sentence.
- Upon his release in early 2015 he was taken to a detention centre to await deportation. His family say he had become religious. In July his expulsion order expired because Tunisia didn't sort out the paperwork.
- He was ordered to leave Italy anyway, and so crossed into Germany where he claimed asylum in July 2015.
- It was in August 2015 when Merkel gave out her famous invitation to refugees, a full minth after Amri had been in the country
- In February 2016 Amri moved to Berlin and a month later came under investigation after a tip-off to police that he was preparing an act of terror.
- In June 2016 his claim for asylum was rejected. He was detained for a day but because he had no identity documents they could not establish he was the right man, so had to let him go. He also had up to 6 different sets of false papers at thsi time
- In August 2016 Amri was arrested for a minor offence, and Germany asked Tunisia to provide a passport so they could deport him.
- In September 2016 surveillance was called off. Amri was seen dealing drugs and fighting in a bar, but there was no sign of terrorism.
- The police didn't shoot at the guy they were following originally because he wasn't a Brazilian electrician
Last month extremists linked to Amri were arrested and questioned. Security services exchanged information and police issued a warning that Amri is dangerous.
The German security forces had Amri in their sights, but no evidence. A civilised nation does not charge or jail anyone for a thing they MIGHT do. If we do it to terrorists, then we will do it to anyone.
The simple and hard truth is that if a few thousand people want to kill you, one of them will probably manage it. They only have to get it right once.
Germany did not 'let Amri in', and nor did Italy. He was denied asylum in two nations which picked him up on their radar in exactly the way they should have done.
It was Tunisia who allowed a wanted criminal to roam free, and to leave its borders. It was Tunisia who refused to accept him back. It was Tunisia that took four months to issue a passport.
And it's Tunisia that has a massive problem with terrorism, and an estimated 7,000 of its citizens who are members of Islamic State.
The German security forces had Amri in their sights, but no evidence. A civilised nation does not charge or jail anyone for a thing they MIGHT do. If we do it to terrorists, then we will do it to anyone.
The simple and hard truth is that if a few thousand people want to kill you, one of them will probably manage it. They only have to get it right once.
Germany did not 'let Amri in', and nor did Italy. He was denied asylum in two nations which picked him up on their radar in exactly the way they should have done.
It was Tunisia who allowed a wanted criminal to roam free, and to leave its borders. It was Tunisia who refused to accept him back. It was Tunisia that took four months to issue a passport.
And it's Tunisia that has a massive problem with terrorism, and an estimated 7,000 of its citizens who are members of Islamic State.
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