Media analysis: Rewording of headline or description for news article - Scholz aims to simplify removal of residents to Afghanistan: "Long-awaited declaration"
Scholz proposed on Thursday that deportation of criminals from Afghanistan and Syria should be allowed once again following a fatal knife attack on a police officer in Mannheim. "There should be deportation for those who commit serious crimes - even if they're from Afghanistan and Syria," he declared in the Bundestag. "Serious criminals and terrorist threats haven't changed." He hadn't specified how this would be executed in his government's announcement yet. The Federal Interior Ministry is crafting the practical implementation, having begun talks with neighboring countries.
"Increase in political leadership"
"General Newspaper" (Mainz): "Deportation of rejected asylum seekers to countries under terrorism, such as Afghanistan, is debatable, but those who've severely abused hospitality for criminal acts should bear responsibility for their actions. Such offenders include police officer murderers and Islamist or anti-Semitic instigators. Here's hoping the Greens understand this and don't obstruct the swift resumption of deportation practices Scholz is mandating. The country doesn't need a traffic light rift on this topic."
"Rhein-Zeitung" (Koblenz): "Scholz heads an unsure country - even more so after the gruesome knife attack and death of a young police officer in Mannheim. So far, it seemed Scholz hadn't comprehended people's sentiments and the situation. (...) In these difficult times, citizens demand more political leadership. We've been dissatisfied with Scholz's leadership up until now. However, he didn't show improvement with Wednesday's speech. One can only hope he continues in this vein."
"Augsburger Allgemeine": "Whether this declaration from the Chancellor will come to fruition is unclear. Both the Taliban and Assad's Syria would need incentives to return unwanted individuals. Still, the decision is correct. Those who commit serious crimes don't deserve protection. This is crucial for the outlook of other refugees, too, and to reassure police officers working to uphold the Basic Law and safeguard citizen safety."
"Southern Courier" (Konstanz): "Though this statement from the Chancellor might not have prevented Monday's assault in Mannheim and potentially not discourage perpetrators, it's a long time coming. Citizens' security and justice concerns, and refuting the perception that politics doesn't consider their anger and fears, are paramount. It's hoped Scholz's recent decisive stance is not prompted solely by the upcoming election."
"Volksstimme" (Magdeburg): "A potential rift in the traffic light coalition is brewing. The Greens are against deportation, citing technical issues as a hurdle. But it's unclear how they'll tackle the problem. Afghanistan neighbors' involvement is uncertain. The Greens dodge responsibilities by employing technicality as a smokescreen. Their stance against deportation doesn't align with Green doctrine. Notably, Ukraine is getting artillery reinforced with tanks and rockets."
"Ludwigsburger Kreiszeitung": "The SPD, FDP, Greens, and even the Union are concerned that the recently defensive AfD could benefit from the horrific incident on Mannheim's market square in Europe's elections. The shock and dismay pervading Germany are palpable. The coalition of SPD, Greens, and FDP shifts its stance on deportations to Afghanistan and Syria."
"Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung": "The German state should have stood firmly against the extremism brought on by migrants and the violence it engendered long ago, even during Chancellor Merkel's reign. (...) That a young police officer lost her life to a jailed, yet tolerated asylum seeker is unfortunate. Why couldn't Scholz and the Interior Minister have expressed the priority of Germany's security and citizen safety earlier?"
"Die Glocke" (Oelde): "Engaging with the Islamic Taliban and Bashar al-Assad's regime is a delicate matter. Offering millions to countries that harbor hateful regimes that allow deportations is risky. And whether Pakistan and Uzbekistan, Afghanistan's neighbours, want to accept criminals and terrorists is debatable. Regardless, there must be tangible outcomes. Lack of progress heightens political apathy and benefits extremist factions."
"Rhein-Neckar-Zeitung" (Heidelberg): "Yesterday's Bundestag debate addressed those already here. Deporting criminals after serving their sentence is a given. But where does criminality stem from? Does voicing support for a caliphate or browsing Islamic websites suffice? Criminal law is applicable at any instance."
"Osnabrücker Zeitung": "If stricter laws wouldn't have made a difference in the specific Mannheim case where the Islamic extremist was seemingly undetected, permitting Islamist extremists to reside in Germany is still a high-risk proposition. People's patience with welcoming those fleeing violence is wearing thin."
