A Marburg social psychologist, Ulrich Wagner, anticipates a growing xenophobia in the aftermath of the deadly attack in Aschaffenburg. “The acts in Aschaffenburg and elsewhere and the political debate surrounding them, foster fears and xenophobia in society”he told the Rheinische Post (Friday edition).
“Psychologically, this is a simple learning mechanism: we experience repeatedly that migration is linked to violence and we conclude that all migrants are dangerous”he said.
However, Wagner also emphasized, “When we examine the violent acts of recent months, most of the perpetrators are people who are in a completely uncertain situation or are facing deportation. If people without a perspective are forced to remain in collective accommodations for months, unable to work, this can exacerbate psychological vulnerabilities. It is therefore essential to address the root causes. Many asylum experts say that the procedures must move much faster, so that the affected individuals can enter a structured life.”
He also stated, “Such acts cannot be entirely prevented. Not even by the government announcing measures that are not feasible, such as repatriations to countries that do not want to take back the people in question.”
Furthermore, the scientist pointed out, “Another psychological mechanism is that of imitative offenders. The more often one reads about such acts, the more likely others are to copy them. But not discussing the problems would also be entirely wrong. There is no solution to this dilemma.