Mobility and Protective Measures - Following Solingen, the asylum policy is looking to strengthen its regulations.
Following the tragic stabbing incident in Solingen, the federal government has consented to implement new measures aimed at combating Islamic terrorism, moderating migration, and strengthening gun regulations. Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser (SPD) presented these comprehensive and stringent measures.
Decrease in aid for specific asylum seekers
The coalition government has agreed to reduce aid for certain asylum seekers. This change affects migrants whose responsibility lies with another European state that has agreed to take them back. The intent is to increase pressure to depart from the country. However, Faeser emphasized that "no one will starve or be forced to live on the streets in Germany." In Germany, aid will no longer be granted - the responsible country will be responsible for this provision.
Skepticism from Green Party faction leader Britta Hasselmann
Britta Hasselmann, the Green Party faction leader, expressed reservations about this plan. She pointed out that individuals who are deportable have limited rights to benefits, and the Federal Constitutional Court has clear guidelines regarding the subsistence minimum for everyone, including refugees, as well as the European Court of Justice’s case law.
Facilitated deportations, expansion of exclusion grounds for asylum
In the future, people will be more easily deported if they have committed a crime with a weapon or other dangerous instrument. Additionally, migrants will be able to be excluded more easily from protection in Germany if they have violated the law. "In the future, people smuggling and crimes motivated by anti-Semitism, racism, xenophobia, gender-specific factors, sexual orientation, or other forms of disrespect for human dignity can also lead to the loss of protection status," the document states.
A federal and state government working group will explore ways to enhance the Dublin procedure - the regulations for deporting asylum seekers to other European states responsible for them.
Individuals returning to their home country without valid reasons will lose protection in Germany - for instance, on vacation trips. However, a return for a funeral may be permitted, explained State Secretary Anja Hajduk from the Federal Ministry of Economics.
Less weapons in public
Furthermore, the handling of weapons in public spaces will be further regulated. This includes a ban on bringing weapons on long-distance buses and trains, at folk festivals, and other large events. Switchblades will also be banned, with exceptions like for hunters. The criteria for weapon permits will be increased to ensure that extremists do not obtain weapons and explosives.
Greater powers for security authorities
The powers of security authorities in the fight against Islamism will be expanded. Investigative authorities will be allowed to compare publicly accessible biometric images with photos of suspects or wanted individuals. The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (Bamf) will also be permitted to do this to verify the identity of asylum seekers.
A new task force focused on preventing Islamism, comprising members from both academia and practice, will advise the federal government in the future. The instrument of association bans will continue to be employed against Islamist associations.
A suspected Islamist attack occurred on a city festival in Solingen last Friday evening, resulting in three deaths and eight injuries. The alleged perpetrator is Syrian Issa Al H., who is currently in custody. The Federal Prosecutor's Office is investigating him for murder and suspected membership in the terrorist group Islamic State (IS), which claimed responsibility for the incident. The suspect was intended to be deported to Bulgaria last year, but the process failed.
Union calls for more measures, AfD views it as "panic PR"
CSU parliamentary group leader Alexander Dobrindt stated, "It seems that things that the traffic light coalition has always rejected so far are now possible." He announced a thorough examination. The numbers of illegal migration and deportations must decrease, Dobrindt told the German Press Agency. The first parliamentary business manager of the Union faction, Thorsten Frei (CDU), said to the "Tagesspiegel": "There is little that is wrong in the document, but there is also far too little to address the current challenge." In addition, border rejections are crucial.
AfD leader Alice Weidel did not take the project seriously. "The main culprits for the migration disaster and deterioration of internal security are now pretending, just before the state elections, that they are seriously tackling the migration crisis they themselves have caused," she wrote on X. "Voters will not be blinded by this pure panic PR."
Sahra Wagenknecht, chairperson of the affiliated BSW, also questioned the seriousness of the plans. "While the BSW has been advocating for a halt to uncontrolled migration before the crimes in Mannheim and Solingen, the traffic light coalition is not announcing the measures out of conviction, but out of fear of Sunday," she said to dpa.
The "security package" is likely to spark discussions, particularly among the Greens. "The fact that the traffic light coalition is reacting to the terrible terrorist attack in Solingen with further asylum law tightening is a poor testimony," criticized the co-chairwoman of the Green Youth, Katharina Stolla. However, party leader Omid Nouripour praised the plans: "It is good that the security authorities are strengthened, the weapons law is tightened, and we are making progress in prevention."
SPD leader Saskia Esken shared in "Augsburger Allgemeine" their ongoing battle against the terror orchestrated by Islamists. She emphasized that in implementing necessary actions, humanity and adherence to international agreements will remain paramount for the SPD. Justice Minister Marco Buschmann (FDP) highlighted the relevance and effectiveness of a planned enhancement of Germany's security scenario.
Groups opposing the plan will convene the following week for further discussion.
The process of crafting this set of measures had already commenced over the weekend, prompted by the recent attack. The urgency to execute these measures was emphasized by Faeser, not limiting it to the following year. Moreover, Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) pledged to organize conversations with the federal states and the Union, being the largest opposition force, on Wednesday. This first collaborative gathering will bring together representatives of the three coalition parties of the traffic light coalition, scheduled for the upcoming week.
The new measures also include stricter consequences for migrants who commit crimes, as stated in the document: "In the future, people will be more easily deported if they have committed a crime with a weapon or other dangerous instrument."
The green party has raised concerns about the potential impact of these measures on the rights of individuals, with Britta Hasselmann stating: "The Federal Constitutional Court has clear guidelines regarding the subsistence minimum for everyone, including refugees, as well as the European Court of Justice’s case law."
