It is altogether appropriate that we do so. just as we also should not fail to pay homage to the brave persons who tried. many unsuccessfully. to breach the wall. But many of us have overlooked the manner in which East German authorities are attempting to exploit this situation to their own advantage. As the editorial from the August 12. 1986 edition of the Lincoln Journal which follows. and which I commend to my colleague. makes clear. the GDR is using the West German constitutional right of asylum to flood West Berlin. and ultimately the Federal Republic of Germans. with refugees of every kind. As many as 100.000 such persons are expected this year. By contrast. the United States. with a population four times that of West Germany. takes in only 50.000 refugees per year. All of these people make demands on social services. some of them also are said to be responsible for ethnic tension. crime. drug use. and terrorism. None of the solutions proposed to deal with this problem is ideal.
Identified stereotypes
Refugees are responsible for ethnic tension, crime, drug use, and terrorism.