In response to a deadly knife attack in Solingen, the Federal Government has agreed on new measures aimed at combating Islamist terrorism, tackling illegal migration, and tightening gun laws.
The traffic light coalition has decided to cut benefits for certain asylum seekers. Efforts to develop a package of security measures commenced over the weekend after the attack. The aim is to implement these measures as swiftly as possible, though not before next year, as stated by Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) during her presentation.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz has announced discussions with the states and the Union. Consequently, a working group comprising representatives from all three parties in the coalition will convene for the first time next week.
The working group, operating at both federal and state levels, will also look for ways to enhance the Dublin procedure – rules governing the deportation of asylum seekers to other European countries responsible for their applications, german media said. This initiative aims to increase pressure to encourage them to leave the country.
According to the Secretary of State for the Federal Ministry of Economics, Anja Hajduk, anyone returning to their homeland without a valid reason should lose their protection in Germany, with the only exception being for funerals. As a result, it will become easier in the future to deport individuals who have committed crimes involving weapons or other dangerous items.
The Minister of the Interior said the government should further restrict the use of knives in public places by introducing a general ban on the use of knives, including folding knives for hunters, on buses and long-distance trains, at folk festivals, and other large events.
The authorities’ full powers in the matter of migration to expand, including the possibility for investigating authorities to compare publicly available images with photographs of suspected or wanted persons. The Federal Office for Migration, responsible for asylum procedures, should also be able to carry out identity checks on those seeking protection.
The new task force on “preventing Islamism,” whose members will come from science and practice, will advise the federal government in the future. The club ban tool should continue to target Islamist clubs.
