A famous German social worker has broken his silence on sexual abuse and theft committed by migrants in Germany, going so far as to say that what happened in Cologne on New Year’s Eve is happening in German towns every day.

Ercan Yasaroglu (54), a social worker who also runs Café Kotti – a hub of “freedom, tolerance, and equality” in Berlin – has said that gangs of North African men are trafficking drugs and engaging in violent, sexual behaviour against the women of his city.

Mr. Yasaroglu is perhaps the last person you might expect to speak out on the issue. An avowed left-wing campaigner and a refugee himself in the 1980s, he once described his Cafe as “like a living room… A meeting place for people from all around the world to interact, discuss and feel comfortable.”

But following the Cologne attacks, Mr. Yasaroglu has found it important to step into the debate on Germany’s open borders, telling Focus magazine that 70 percent of migrants are engaging in drug abuse, theft and violence.

“Once it gets dark,” he says, “drugs are sold and passers by are robbed. They act in groups, stalking their victims, for example, at an ATM [cash machine]. A popular distraction trick is where they hug someone, and after, you are missing your wallet.

“Meanwhile, there are also these sexual assaults. Girls who are surrounded and groped.”

When asked who the perpetrators of such crimes are, he responds: “Young guys from North African countries, the same clientele as in Cologne”.

“Refugees?” he is asked.

“This has nothing to do with refugees. In my opinion, this a system that is organised, at least in Berlin, by criminal, ethnic Arab gangs… Of course, there are also refugees in the new members. But they recruit among all migrants.”

Mr. Yasaroglu – who fled Turkey in 1982 – says that no one is willing to “open his mouth” on the issue.

“We always wanted to be politically correct,” he laments, before adding: “That is why we have not screamed loud enough.”

“No one has dared to say what it is. That is why we also carry the blame for what has happened and what is happening here and in Cologne every day. But you know the saddest thing? Ultimately, we have achieved exactly the opposite of what we wanted to achieve. Our false consideration has damaged the welcoming culture.”

He says that not all refugees and migrants should be portrayed as criminals, but that it is the fault of German state policy, as well as the police, for allowing criminality to flourish, and therefore allowing such attitudes to prevail.

“Migrants must not be a taboo subject,” he says.

When asked about his views on religion, the coffee shop owner replies: “I am an atheist and have no reason to defend Islam, but I think that it is not related to religion.

“Of course, in many Muslim countries in the world, men are strictly separated from the world of women. But respect for a woman is taught both in the family and in religious education.” He cites his experience, being brought up by an Islamic scholar grandfather, who he said would never mistreat women.

But he notes that in Muslim countries, “the men are treated, while children, like princes, and coddled. This little prince has no limits. This is a societal problem. And we need to address it as a society.” He closes by saying that not all Arabs should be put in the same box.