Attacks provoke fears of migrants

BERLIN — The news that one of the assailants in the Paris attacks may have crossed into Europe with refugees fleeing Syria is raising the fierce debate over Europe’s immigration policy to a new pitch.

Chancellor Angela Merkel seemed Saturday to hold onto her stance of placing no limits on the number of people Germany is willing to give refuge to.

In a somber statement hours after the attacks, she urged her countrymen to uphold European values of humanity and compassion in the face of terror.

Thomas de Maiziere, the country’s interior minister, said Saturday that German security agencies were keeping a close eye not only on Islamic extremists “but also the far-right extremists who might react to such an attack.”

Markus Soeder, a member of Bavaria’s regional government, called Saturday for still greater efforts to ensure that authorities know who is entering the country.

In an interview with weekly Welt am Sonntag, Soeder insisted “the days of unchecked immigration and illegal entry can’t continue. Paris changes everything.”

His warning came as a Greek official said a Syrian passport was found at the scene of one of the Paris attacks and its owner crossed into the European Union through the Greek island of Leros on Oct. 3.