This Week in Germany

In this live one-hour special, This Week in Germany celebrates its centenary episode! Our top story is an in-depth look at Germany's handling of the migration crisis. We report on location from a asylum processing centre in Berlin. Here, asylum seekers are forced to sleep on the street overnight in freezing conditions to keep their place in line and have a chance of registering for state benefits. Freelance journalist Ben Knight joins us to explain the failures of the German government and what more can be expected from politicians on a regional, national and even European level. We hear one refugee's emotional story, as he describes the dangerous sea crossing to Europe and his eventual suicide attempt after mistreatment in a German refugee shelter. We also get caught up, as always, on the week's news in brief! In the much lighter second half, Rob meets up with a zookeeper, who shows him around the themed worlds of Leipzig Zoo - which is one of the most biodiverse in Europe. It even has an indoor rainforest with an artificial river... that you can take a boat trip on! Our resident film reviewer, Malachi Ray Rempen, is with us in the studio to talk about his appearance in the film Bridge of Spies - a Cold War thriller filmed and set in Berlin. Finally, we bring back a feature that long-time listeners will enjoy. Thank you for helping This Week in Germany celebrate our 100th episode! (Information: There is one moment of non-gratuitous explicit language in this episode.)