Chancellor Olaf Scholz has announced that Germany will reinstate deportations of criminals from Afghanistan and Syria, following a harrowing knife attack in Mannheim that resulted in the death of a police officer and injuries to four others.
The assailant, a 25-year-old Afghan immigrant, has ignited a national debate on security and migration ahead of the European elections.
Speaking in parliament, Scholz stated, "It outrages me when someone who has sought protection here commits the most serious crimes. Such criminals should be deported, even if they come from Syria and Afghanistan."
His comments were met with applause from lawmakers, highlighting the urgent need to address security concerns.
The incident in Mannheim, captured on video and widely circulated online, has sent shockwaves across Germany. The attacker, who arrived in Germany as an asylum-seeker in 2014, fatally stabbed a 29-year-old police officer during an attempt to intervene. Scholz condemned the act as "terror" and a manifestation of radical Islamist ideology.
Germany has refrained from deporting individuals to Afghanistan and Syria due to the lack of diplomatic relations with the Taliban and the precarious security situation in Syria.
However, Scholz revealed that his government is exploring options to deport convicted criminals to neighbouring countries of Afghanistan. Discussions about resuming deportations to Syria are also underway.
The chancellor's tough stance comes as migration emerges as a pivotal issue in the European election campaign, with far-right populists poised to make significant gains.
Scholz emphasised that "Germany’s security interests outweigh the interests of the perpetrator" and vowed to toughen deportation rules for those involved in terrorism.
Opposition leader Friedrich Merz of the Christian Democrats echoed Scholz's call for decisive action, stating, "People expect us to act. They expect decisions."
However, Britta Hasselmann, leader of the parliamentary Greens, questioned the feasibility of negotiating deportation agreements with the Taliban or Afghanistan's neighbouring countries.
