Germany has seen large numbers of refugees entering the country since September 2015, and Munich has seen the largest influx of any German city. Recently, a wall was erected in a suburb of the city to separate refugees from local residents.
A refugee camp is being constructed in a small town on the southern outskirts of Munich. But the idea of taking in and housing refugees here, has been met with concern. Local residents applied to the court to build a stone wall outside of the camp. They fear that housing prices will drop and that their neighborhood will suffer from noise pollution.
The 4-meter-tall and half-a-meter thick wall is made of stones and wires, extending to about 100 meters. Engineers say that a wall of this height can be effectively soundproof.
It is reported that the construction of the wall was a result of locals appealing and voicing their concerns. However, the project has seemingly been controversial as some residents have different views.
"There are some old people here and they think it’s very loud because of the young men and young people, 16 or 17 years old. They come here and play football or party. So the elderly people think it's very loud and want to have a wall," said Reifen Walker, local resident.
"There should be no walls between people. You should argue and discuss with people individually. There are good people and bad people in every race and everywhere around the world. So that's my opinion. I wouldn't build a wall," said Ludwig Fox, local resident.
Analysts believe that the construction of this wall and the controversy surrounding it, are the culmination of the government's controversial refugee policy. Besides, how to integrate refugees into German society is not only another question, but is among the top priorities of all the problems that the government is facing.