Merkel wanted refugees to be lorry drivers
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
German Chancellor Angela Merkel in September tried to push through a plan that would allow refugees to be trained and hired as lorry drivers – just months before a lorry was used by a suspected asylum-seeker to mow down civilians during Monday’s Berlin terror attack.
Merkel encouraged companies to hire refugees – even if they hadn’t yet been granted asylum – as drivers and also wanted to make it cheaper for migrants to trade in their foreign driver’s license for a German one, The Daily Express reported.
"We all need to be ready to implement practical solutions,” Merkel said when introducing the idea.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
But the Organization of German Profession Lorry Drivers (BDBK) fought back.
“We give a definite no to use refugees as lorry drivers,” BDBK chairman Wolfgang Westermann said at the time. “Professional lorry drivers need a thorough and qualified education. You cannot let everyone drive off in a 40-ton lorry.”
Anis Amri is suspected of hijacking a lorry and killing the driver before going on his rampage at a Berlin Christmas market that killed 12 and wounded 48. Authorities continued on Thursday to hunt Amri.