Group of tourists mistaken for refugees in Germany, almost detained

The participants of the tourist club from Germany were mistaken for illegal migrants and tried to detain them.

In November, a group of tourists of Syrian origin went on a four-day mountain hike to the east of the country, to the so-called Saxon Switzerland. About 55 people took part in the campaign, most of whom spoke Arabic among themselves. Apparently, residents of one of the villages mistook them for illegal migrants: Syrian refugees often cross the border between Germany and the Czech Republic in this area — and called the police, according to The Guardian.

An unpleasant incident occurred after the first day spent in the mountains. The group was returning to the hostel when a police car blocked their way. After talking to the tourists and finding out that they were all legally in the country, the police wished them a pleasant day and left.

"It was a little weird. Strangely, people called the police because of us when we were engaged in the most German type of recreation imaginable, namely mountain climbing," commented Ayham Tahan, one of the organizers of the hike.

The tourist club was organized by a group of volunteers, many of whom are from Syria, back in 2016. His goal was to help people who emigrated to Germany find friends and get to know a new country better.

The incident with the police call divided the group. "Many of our participants were very unhappy. Some people were very offended, calling the incident racism. Others said it was typical German behaviour. They saw a large group, they didn't like the language they were speaking, so they called the police," Tahan told reporters.