**Berlin** – The leader of Germany’s opposition has pledged to take a strict stance on immigration, promising to prevent entry without valid documents and enhance deportations if he secures the chancellorship in the upcoming elections. This announcement comes in the wake of a tragic knife attack attributed to an Afghan man who had previously sought asylum, an incident that has cast a long shadow over the campaign trail, with the opposition leader currently topping the polls.
In a harrowing incident in Aschaffenburg, Bavaria, a knife attack resulted in the deaths of two individuals, including a young boy, and left three others injured. The assailant, a 28-year-old Afghan national, was apprehended shortly after the incident. He had a documented history of psychiatric issues and violence and had stated his intention to leave Germany voluntarily a month prior. His application for asylum was denied earlier in the year, and authorities did not manage to deport him back to Bulgaria—the country where he had first entered the European Union—as required.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz, whose party is lagging in the polls ahead of the February 23 election, met with national security leaders to discuss the incident. He indicated that necessary measures would be implemented promptly. However, he also criticized the Bavarian authorities, claiming there were “shortcomings” in enforcing the migration policies that his federal government had implemented.
Friedrich Merz, leading the center-right Union party, reiterated calls for stricter immigration policies, blaming a “misguided asylum and immigration policy” for the nation’s challenges, a situation he associates with the previous chancellorship of Angela Merkel, who had allowed a significant influx of migrants. Merz committed to directing the Interior Ministry to manage borders rigorously and prevent any unauthorized entry from the first day of his potential administration.
Merz emphasized the need to detain individuals who should be deported, allowing for expedited processing through increased detention space. Despite the possibility of having to form a coalition with left-leaning parties to assume the role of chancellor, he maintained that “compromises are no longer possible” on issues related to migration.
The current administration has already reinforced temporary controls on borders. Interior Minister Nancy Faeser stated that laws to facilitate deportations have been significantly strengthened. She expressed skepticism about Merz’s assertive immigration plans, stating that they might not align with existing EU legislation and added that using serious crimes as a political tool is inappropriate.
Concerns about security and immigration continue to loom large over Germany, particularly following recent knife attacks connected to immigrants, including those from Afghanistan and Syria, as well as a recent car attack at a Christmas market involving a Saudi doctor. The political landscape is witnessing pressure from a surge in support for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), which has capitalized on public dissatisfaction regarding migration and is polling at around 20%.
Alice Weidel, the AfD’s candidate for chancellor, has suggested a parliamentary vote on immediate measures to close borders and bar irregular migrants from entry. Faeser, responding to concerns over migration levels, noted a significant decline in asylum applications last year, with 229,751 people applying for asylum—a 30% reduction compared to the previous year. Deportations also saw an increase, with over 18,000 deportations documented in the first eleven months of the current year, compared to the entire year of 2022.
Opposition members have criticized the lack of further deportations to Afghanistan since an initial flight in August. Faeser assured that efforts to deport more individuals, particularly criminals, to Afghanistan are ongoing. The administration, while faced with these challenges, continues to navigate the complex landscape of immigration reform ahead of pivotal elections.
