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German Police Accused Of Racially Profiling North Africans On New Year's Eve

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Police in Cologne, Germany hold a group of men in front of Hauptbahnhof main railway station. (Maja Hitij/Getty Images)
Police in Cologne, Germany hold a group of men in front of Hauptbahnhof main railway station. (Maja Hitij/Getty Images)

A German city has once again became the focus of a raging debate over migration. Police in Cologne are claiming victory in preventing the kinds of crimes that marred New Year's celebrations last year, when hundreds of women claimed they were robbed and sexually assaulted in the city center by North African men.

This year police detained 650 people, mostly North African men, for preemptive identity checks, and they're being criticized for racially profiling the men. The disturbances last year helped fuel the rise of the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany party, which is expected to win seats in the German parliament for the first time in national elections this fall.

Beatrix von Storch, a member of the party, joins Here & Now's Peter O'Dowd to discuss.

This segment aired on January 2, 2017.

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