A new report claims that migrant youth gangs in the Ebertplatz area of Cologne are becoming increasingly violent, leading some to describe the area as turning into a no-go zone.
Authorities in the Eberplatz area say that in recent months young migrants from the Middle East and Africa have turned the place into a no-go zone once the sun goes down. Over just the past nine months, police have been involved in around 3,000 incidents in the area ranging from simple stop and search to the murder of a 22-year-old African migrant last Saturday evening, Die Welt reports.
Police arrested three men in connection with the murder saying they were all part of the local drug scene. Police officials in Germany have previously warned that in some areas of the country asylum seekers and illegal migrants have begun to take over the lucrative drug trade, often using violence to achieve their goals.
“The square is designed at such angles that even on the ground police can not overlook the entire area. This means that drug trafficking and acts of violence are not detected and prevented in a timely manner,” police said.
While police are called into the area on a daily basis and have carried out over 3,000 separate actions in the area, only 19 suspects have been arrested and prosecuted for crimes.
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