German town bars male asylum seekers from public pool

PanARMENIAN.Net - A western German town has barred adult male asylum seekers from its public indoor swimming pool after receiving complaints that some women were sexually harassed there, the New York Times reports.

It was the latest sign of social tensions related to the arrival last year of 1.1 million migrants in Germany, and followed reports of sexual assaults on women by young foreigners during New Year’s Eve celebrations in Cologne.

The deputy mayor of Bornheim, a town of 48,000 about 18 miles south of Cologne, said Friday that a difficult decision was taken to send a clear message that breaching German cultural norms was a red line that should not be crossed.

“There have been complaints of sexual harassment and chatting-up going on in this swimming pool by groups of young men,” said the deputy mayor, Markus Schnapka, “and this has prompted some women to leave.”

“This led to my decision that adult males from our asylum shelters may not enter the swimming pool until further notice,” he added.

He did not say how the ban would be enforced. German news media outlets reported that asylum seekers, who get no funds from the state, must present an identification document to be admitted to pools at a discounted rate.

Schnapka said his town had begun a campaign to teach asylum seekers about gender equality and respect for women.

The gang attacks on women outside Cologne’s cathedral deepened public doubts about Chancellor Angela Merkel’s open-door policy toward refugees fleeing conflicts in the Middle East and about Germany’s ability to integrate the mainly Muslim and Arab newcomers.

Police investigations into the episodes of sexual molestation are focusing on 19 suspects, including 10 asylum seekers and nine illegal migrants thought to be from North Africa. The police said the suspects came from outside Cologne.