As Chancellor Angela Merkel's stand or decision on most matters ciuld be considered as decisive or very much a leadership role, but her response to the migrant crisis and her insistence that Germany "can do it" in response to suggestions that Germany couldn't take the numbers. She also accepted the refugees had waked from Keleti Station in Budapest into the country.

This quickly led to mocking representations of her as 'Mutter Angela' but also enthusiastic pro-refugee protests and volunteer movements. In many ways she merely staked herself to a position (Germany could absorb the level of immigration being asked of it) and was pilloried from those opposed to the idea and canonised by those who supported it.

However data suggests that many refugees were already making their way to Germany before this point. The warm welcome of the Chancellor seems only one element, alongside it being the strong economy, the existence of a pre-existing community for Syrians to integrate into, and the good reputation of germany as a stable country to live in.

As well as the pul factor of German stability, there was a push factor as, during the summer of 2015, the war in Syria worsened and aid groups (from the end of 2014) began to reduce rations in refugee camps in Syria.

Yes. But at the same time the EU envisaged a mandatory quota system that would force EU members to accept refugees according to a formula based on population, GDP and so on. Many EU members rejected this imposition.

Interesting article here from 2016 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/germany/angela-merkel/12193876/Angela-Merkels-historic-error-on-immigration.html

A few months later - see some consequences of this here when the European Court of Justice ruled that member states would be forced to accept refugees http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/09/06/eu-court-rejects-refugee-quota-challenge-hungary-slovakia/

In any case, with open borders, even if a refugee was forcibly (?) sent to Poland, say, there would be no guarantee that the refugee would stay there; instead he may just move on to where he wanted to go in the first place.

The argument within the EU continues and may lead to a split – see this very recent article http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/01/04/eu-prides-unity-brexit-immigration-tearing-apart/

A more liberal viewpoint from 2015 is here… https://www.vox.com/2015/9/9/9290985/refugee-crisis-europe-syrian

And a German perspective here… http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/how-eu-promises-to-introduce-refugee-quotas-failed-a-1040226.html

What a complex subject with so many aspects – humanitarian, political, economic, legal, national, international, social… Sometimes I’m glad I’m not a Prime Minister or President.