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The fast approaching anniversary of the Cologne sex attacks prompted Christian Social Union politician Markus Söder to blame the country's “deteriorating” security situation on mass migration that is leaving citizens, feeling “unsafe”.

Angela Merkel faced calls to change her migration policy after the Cologne sex attacks

Söder – whose party is aligned with Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union – said: “Our wives and daughters are increasingly afraid of sexual assaults. The state must act more decisively than in the past.

“Last year we lost control of our borders. Now we are beginning to lose control of streets and squares.

“When citizens no longer feel safe to visit neighbourhoods, the state loses its authority… this is now about homeland security,” he said speaking to a German newspaper.