More than one-third of Germans said their view of foreigners had worsened following a New Year's Eve spate of at least 200 alleged sex assaults carried out mostly by North African men in Cologne, according to a new survey.
The poll by the Forsa Institute highlighted a sudden negative shift in how Germans perceive people from abroad after their country last year emerged as an optimistic champion of migrants and refugees.
German leader Angela Merkel's open-door policy and slogan "We Can Do It" accompanied the arrival of some 1.1 million people into the country last year - including many Syrians fleeing war in the homeland.
However, Sunday's poll said 37 percent of Germans had a more negative outlook on foreigners following the alleged Cologne assaults, while 60 percent said their view remained unchanged.
Justice Minister Heiko Maas told "Bild" on Sunday that he believed the attacks were "coordinated and prepared," adding that this would "add another dimension [to the crimes]."
