Germany intensifies deportations after tragic park attack
The German Interior Minister, Nancy Faeser, announced on Thursday that efforts are underway to deport a greater number of criminals to Afghanistan. This follows a brutal attack by a migrant on a group of nursery school children in Aschaffenburg, where an Afghan man killed a two-year-old child and a man who attempted to protect the children.
"We are the only country in Europe that has deported serious criminals back to Afghanistan for the first time since the Taliban took control," stated the German Interior Minister during a press conference in Berlin.
"We are working hard on deporting more criminals to Afghanistan," emphasised Nancy Faeser.
An Afghan man attacked a group of children
On Wednesday, 28-year-old Enamullah O. from Afghanistan attacked a nursery group with a knife in a park in Aschaffenburg, leading to the deaths of two people: a two-year-old boy and a 41-year-old man who tried to defend the children.
The perpetrator of the brutal attack was arrested. It was revealed that he had arrived in Germany in November 2022 via Bulgaria. Bavarian authorities reported that his asylum application was rejected in June, but deportation to Bulgaria did not occur due to procedural errors.
Enamullah O. had mental health issues and had been treated multiple times in psychiatric facilities. He had a criminal record for drug offences, violence, and assault on officers. No evidence of an Islamist motive for the attack was found. Bavarian authorities stated that the Afghan expressed willingness to voluntarily leave Germany, which nevertheless did not happen.
Reactions from politicians
The German Interior Minister criticised the Dublin system, which assigns the responsibility for examining an asylum application to the first country the refugee arrives in.
"Once again, we see that the Dublin system no longer works," assessed Faeser.
Leaders of the Christian Democratic parties, Friedrich Merz and Markus Söder, are demanding stricter immigration policies. Merz criticised Germany’s immigration policy over the last ten years, announcing that as Chancellor, he would implement permanent border controls.
"Germany must prioritise national law," emphasised Merz.
