- Desert informs the state parliament about the incident in Solingen
Following the suspected Islamist attack in Solingen, North Rhine-Westphalia's Chief Minister Hendrik Wüst (CDU) will update the state parliament on the current developments this Friday at 10:00 AM. The state administration requested this special session. At the commencement of the parliamentary session, parliamentarians will pay their respects to the attack's victims through a moment of silence.
Wüst characterized the previous Friday's stabbing incident as one of the most impactful occurrences in the state's history. Errors must be pinpointed and consequences drawn, emphasized the leader of the black-green state administration. There are still unresolved queries.
On Thursday, in response to the SPD and FDP opposition factions' request, the Interior and Integration Committee of the state parliament held an extraordinary meeting to deliberate on the attack's repercussions.
Calls for Accountability
During the attack, a man brutally killed three individuals and injured eight others with a knife on a city festival night in Solingen. The alleged perpetrator is the 26-year-old Syrian Issa Al H., currently in police custody. The Federal Prosecutor's Office is investigating him for homicide, as well as suspected associations with the terrorist organization Islamic State (IS).
The suspect entered Germany through Bulgaria at year-end 2022. According to EU asylum regulations, he should have been returned to Bulgaria. Regrettably, this was not carried out due to the man's disappearance on the scheduled return date in June 2023. Wüst demanded an inquiry into the failed return.
Furthermore, the head of government proposed an audit of the benefits given to asylum seekers whose requests have been denied. He suggested shortening the period between the deportation decision and actual deportation. During a visit to Solingen alongside Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) on Monday, Wüst acknowledged the challenges faced by local authorities in deporting people, even within Europe. He emphasized the importance of making it possible to deport individuals to certain parts of Syria and Afghanistan.
Wüst will also address the Landtag about the measures being taken to prevent such incidents in the future. The suspect's case will be discussed extensively in the upcoming Landtag session, providing a platform for accountability and discussions on the current asylum policies.
