Eritrean refugee ‘who pushed boy, 8, to his death under Frankfurt train’ was a poster boy for migrant integration – The Sun

A REFUGEE who allegedly pushed an eight-year-old boy under a train in Frankfurt had been a poster boy for successful integration.

Habte Araya originally from Eritrea but living in Switzerland, has been arrested for shoving a boy and his mother under a locomotive in the German city.

Now it has emerged that the 40-year-old suspect was celebrated as a “prime example” of successful integration in his adopted home of Weadenswil, Switzerland,.

In 2017, he was even pictured in an advertising brochure from the Swiss Workers Relief Agency (Schweizerischen Arbeiterhilfswerks) as an example of successful integration, according to local media.

He gave an interview at the time saying that "he liked almost everything about Switzerland," adding: "When I first came communication was difficult because of the language.

“But that is no longer the case. I like the fact that everyone is helped here regardless of whether they are rich or poor.

"I want a better and easier life for my children than I had."

'RESERVED AND A BIT SHY'

Employees at the Swiss Workers Relief Agency where he worked as a building fitter described Araya in local media as "reserved and a bit shy".

He was described as a hard worker, not somebody who stands around talking and wasting time and they said he was "reliable".

Araya arrived in Switzerland in 2006 and applied for asylum status which he was granted in 2008.

Witnesses described how Araya, a married father-of-three, pushed the boy and his mum onto the train tracks at Frankfurt Station before running away.

The mum, 40, survived the incident by rolling away from the tracks but the lad boy didn’t make it.

Araya reportedly told prosecutors that he had "taken the train from Basel, Switzerland to Germany" but has not said anything else yet.

A 78-year-old woman was also injured by the man on the shoulder as he allegedly tried to push her onto the tracks, but failed.

Flowers, teddy bears and tributes have been left on the platform in Frankfurt in memory of the boy.

Araya faces one charge of murder as well as two charges of attempted murder.

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