Germany's Angela Merkel has been criticised after telling a young refugee at risk of being deported: "Sometimes politics is hard."
The Palestinian girl was reduced to tears after explaining to the Chancellor how her family have been waiting for years to find out if they could stay permanently in Germany.
If permission is refused, they face being sent to a refugee camp in Lebanon.
The girl, identified as Reem, revealed during a question-and-answer session in the city of Rostock she wanted to go to university and said: “It's really unpleasant to watch others enjoy their life and not be able to enjoy it oneself."
Mrs Merkel's response, which has led to her being mocked online, was to tell the girl she was a "very nice person" before explaining Germany's asylum policy.
She told the girl, thought to be aged between 14 and 17: "I understand.
"However ... sometimes politics is hard.
"When you stand in front of me and you are a very nice person, but you know in Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon there are thousands and thousands (of people) and if we say you can all come and you can all come from Africa and you can all come. We can't manage that."
With Reem crying, Mrs Merkel then walked up to her and put her hand on her shoulder, saying she had done a "great job" in explaining her story.
The event's moderator then spoke up, saying: "Chancellor, I don't think that it is about doing a good job here, but it is rather about the fact that it is a very difficult situation."
Mrs Merkel replied: "I know that it's a difficult situation and that's why I want to comfort her.
"Because we don't want to bring all of you into situations like this and because you are having a difficult time.”
Mrs Merkel was later criticised for her lack of empathy, with one tweeter saying: "#merkelstrokes with the cold hand of an ice queen"
The event moderator later defended the Chancellor, saying he respected the way she had tried to explain the political challenge of immigration to a child.
The Palestinian girl was reduced to tears after explaining to the Chancellor how her family have been waiting for years to find out if they could stay permanently in Germany.
If permission is refused, they face being sent to a refugee camp in Lebanon.
The girl, identified as Reem, revealed during a question-and-answer session in the city of Rostock she wanted to go to university and said: “It's really unpleasant to watch others enjoy their life and not be able to enjoy it oneself."
Mrs Merkel's response, which has led to her being mocked online, was to tell the girl she was a "very nice person" before explaining Germany's asylum policy.
She told the girl, thought to be aged between 14 and 17: "I understand.
"However ... sometimes politics is hard.
"When you stand in front of me and you are a very nice person, but you know in Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon there are thousands and thousands (of people) and if we say you can all come and you can all come from Africa and you can all come. We can't manage that."
With Reem crying, Mrs Merkel then walked up to her and put her hand on her shoulder, saying she had done a "great job" in explaining her story.
The event's moderator then spoke up, saying: "Chancellor, I don't think that it is about doing a good job here, but it is rather about the fact that it is a very difficult situation."
Mrs Merkel replied: "I know that it's a difficult situation and that's why I want to comfort her.
"Because we don't want to bring all of you into situations like this and because you are having a difficult time.”
Mrs Merkel was later criticised for her lack of empathy, with one tweeter saying: "#merkelstrokes with the cold hand of an ice queen"
The event moderator later defended the Chancellor, saying he respected the way she had tried to explain the political challenge of immigration to a child.
