- CDP chief advocates for halting illegal immigration
The Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in the Lower Saxony state parliament is advocating for a harder stance on immigration policies after the stabbing incident in Solingen. CDU parliamentary group leader Sebastian Lechner stated, "We need to put a halt to unlawful migration into Germany." This includes reactivating the Dublin Regulation and sending back refugees to the nation where they initially applied for asylum.
Lechner suggested a collaboration with the red-green state government to combat knife crime and Islamic terrorism. This would require expanding the powers of the police and the constitutional protection agency, such as implementing random checks in public spaces and increasing surveillance cameras. Lechner suggested, "If individuals resist deportation or hide, they should be searched and detained or imprisoned."
The Alternative for Germany (AfD) also supports a stronger immigration policy. They plan to propose a motion to the state parliament on Thursday, advocating for a large-scale repatriation initiative for deportable foreigners. AfD parliamentary group leader Klaus Wichmann expressed, "We seem to have become accustomed to having a completely different security situation in Germany, where anything can occur at any moment." Consequently, he suggests securing the borders and not allowing any more individuals to enter.
However, the Greens are cautious about linking asylum law and anti-terrorism. Green parliamentary group leader Detlev Schulz-Hendel warned, "Anyone who advocates for deportations to Afghanistan or Syria would also need to negotiate with the Taliban, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, or IS terrorists – and no one wants that."
Lower Saxony and Bremen support deportations to Syria
Bremen's interior senator, Ulrich Mäurer, supports tougher deportation regulations. "I have always advocated for the consistent repatriation of criminals and perpetrators to their countries of origin," said the SPD politician to the German Press Agency. "Therefore, I also support the federal government's plans to make deportations to Syria and Afghanistan possible."
In early July, Lower Saxony's interior minister, Daniela Behrens, also expressed support for deporting foreign criminals to Syria and Afghanistan. At that time, the interior ministry indicated that 51 deportable criminals from Syria or Afghanistan were residing in the country, with 17 reportedly in custody.
The intelligence service reports that the estimated count of members involved in the Islamist scene in Lower Saxony is 1,410. This represents a decrease of approximately 150 members compared to the previous year. Around half of the scene members support Salafism, a highly radical Islamic movement.
On Friday evening, three individuals were killed and eight others were injured at a city festival in Solingen due to a stabbing. The suspect is a 26-year-old Syrian now in custody. The Federal Prosecutor's Office is examining him for murder charges and affiliation with the terrorist organization Islamic State (IS).
The police would need to be granted expanded powers to implement random checks and increase surveillance cameras, as suggested by CDU parliamentary group leader Sebastian Lechner, to combat knife crime and Islamic terrorism. If individuals resist deportation or hide, they should be searched, detained, or imprisoned, according to Lechner's proposal.
