Desert and Reul are pondering over the identities of Solingen's murderers.
The suspected terrorist, reportedly from Solingen, has been residing in North Rhine-Westphalia since 2022, and his deportation, which was due since his asylum application was rejected, hasn't been executed. This has sparked concerns, with the state interior minister acknowledging the existence of numerous unanswered questions. The regional head of government has pledged to provide clarity and frank dialogue on the matter.
According to CDU politician Hendrik Wüst, speaking on WDR television, numerous authorities are obligated to clarify the situation, and honest conversations are necessary if any missteps were made. Initially reported was that the suspect was supposed to be deported to Bulgaria in 2021 following the rejection of his asylum application. However, he apparently went into hiding just before departure. The European Union was entered by him through Bulgaria.
In conversation with ZDF, Wüst stated, "If an error occurred anywhere, within which authority such may have happened, locally in Bielefeld or Paderborn, or with federal or state authorities, then the truth needs to be laid bare." Wüst expressed his desire to understand what transpired if an error occurred. Earlier, Wüst had mentioned that several open questions remained regarding the suspected attacker's residency status. He inquired why more pressure wasn't applied to deport to Bulgaria by the federal office.
As revealed by North Rhine-Westphalia Interior Minister Herbert Reul to the "Rheinische Post", the suspect was in the federal state since 2022, first in Paderborn and then in Solingen. However, Reul noted, "We had no prior knowledge of him." Reul further elaborated that the act was unlikely to have been spontaneous, as the man had concealed himself "not far from the accommodation" before his arrest.
During the ARD program, Reul explained to "Caren Miosga" that the suspect had not gone into hiding in the legal sense, as he was simply absent on the day of pick-up. "Otherwise, he was always and frequently present at this facility." Reul also raised concerns over the legitimacy, adequacy, or excessiveness of the procedures.
Following the attack, Reul and Wüst advocated for stricter immigration controls. Wüst reiterated CDU leader Friedrich Merz's call for a general prohibition on accepting refugees from Syria and Afghanistan. "Yes, I believe that's right. I've been saying for quite some time that we won't be able to manage the migration and refugee issue in the offices of local government authorities," Wüst stated.
The need for a thorough review of the Security policy regarding immigration and asylum applications becomes evident, considering the suspected terrorist's ability to evade deportation despite rejected asylum claims. The current security measures should be scrutinized to prevent such incidents in the future.
