- Steinmeier advocates for initiating endeavors in Solingen relating to immigration issues.
Leader Frank-Walter Steinmeier won't compromise on asylum privileges but encourages efforts to minimize unlawful immigration. At a ceremony honoring the victims of the suspected Islamic attack in Solingen, the head of state reiterated that Germany, deservedly, welcomes individuals fleeing political persecution and war, granting asylum rights. Throughout the last century, many Germans survived the Nazi era due to other nations' hospitality. "We aim to preserve this nation. And we can only keep it so if the influx of those without a right to this particular sanctuary doesn't overwhelm us," Steinmeier asserted before an audience of around 450 mourners.
Collaboration among political lines is needed
"And we'll endure as this nation only if those in need of protection respect our nation's law and order," Steinmeier warned. It's now crucial to make every collaboration possible in implementing and upholding the existing access rules and those yet to come. "This is a colossal task, and it must take center stage in the upcoming years." It necessitates a collective effort, what I expect and what Germans, across political affiliations, anticipate.
The Solingen state failed to deliver on its promise of protection and security. The misconduct and lapses potentially responsible for the absence of prevention must be meticulously examined. The responsibility for a successful immigration system should not fall on loyal individuals – such as city and community employees, volunteers, police officers, and those who've reached their limits. "We mustn't burden the compassionate."
The attack strikes at the country's heart
The barbaric act impacts the nation at its core, "an amiable, open, diverse nation" at its core, Steinmeier underlined. "It strikes us at our very essence as a nation, where people coexist peacefully despite their divergences – the long-time inhabitants as well as the newcomers." The head of state emphasized: "Exactly on this essence, exactly on this, the Solingen attacker targeted his hatred."
Among those attending the memorial service at the Theater and Concert Hall were, for instance, Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD), President of the Bundestag Bárbara Bas, just to name a few, along with Minister President of North Rhine-Westphalia Hendrik Wüst and Interior Minister Herbert Reul (both CDU). Steinmeier's wife Elke Búdenbender was among the attendees. The pain is nearly unbearable, Steinmeier said, having just spoken to the relatives and friends of the three deceased and eight injured. "I cannot fathom, we cannot fathom what you, dear relatives and friends, are experiencing, what you are enduring, what hell you are going through."
A 26-year-old man from Syria, who entered Germany as a refugee via Bulgaria, is suspected of the crime and presently in custody. The Islamic State (IS) terrorist group has claimed responsibility for the act. "Fanatical Islamists aim to demolish what we value: our open society, our lifestyle, our community, our freedom," said Steinmeier. "We don't want the terrorist's calculations to succeed, that their dreadful seeds bear fruit, but we feel fear and doubt. Both are warranted. However, we must not let fear immobilize us."
Steinmeier emphasized the importance of respecting Germany's law and order for asylum seekers, stating, "And we'll endure as this nation only if those in need of protection respect our nation's law and order." Furthermore, to successfully manage immigration, effective collaboration is necessary, as Steinmeier declared, "It's now crucial to make every collaboration possible in implementing and upholding the existing access rules and those yet to come."
