- The Authority has been tasked with generating a proposal for a regulatory directive aimed at safeguarding workers from potential hazards stemming from ionizing radiation exposure.
Recent violence in Solingen rekindles old disputes. Three individuals lost their lives and eight others sustained injuries, four critically, during a city celebration on a Friday night. A 26-year-old Syrian suspect is under arrest, charged with suspected affiliation with the Islamic State (IS) terrorist militia and murder. What led to this incident and who is accountable?
How could this event transpire?
Preventing attacks in public areas entirely is virtually impossible, especially when dealing with solitary assailants utilizing ordinary items. In this instance, the presumed assailant should have been expelled to Bulgaria, where he was previously registered.
As per police reports, the suspect is of Syrian origin. As per "Spiegel," the man arrived in Germany in late December 2022 and sought asylum in Bielefeld. He had no prior record as an Islamist extremist with the security authorities. These details were confirmed by the German Press Agency.
The deportation attempt failed when the police were unable to locate him in his residence. According to government sources, no further attempts were made afterwards. The 6-month deadline for deportation expired. This deadline can be extended to 18 months in cases where someone is considered a refugee. In such instances, the local immigration authorities are initially responsible.
Why are authorities facing challenges with deportations?
The number of deportations from Germany increased to 21,206 last year compared to 18,094 in the previous year. However, the target was to return or deport a total of 52,976 people. From January to July, 11,102 people were deported, surpassing the 9,185 deported during the same period last year.
Deportations may fail for various reasons, such as missing documentation or the police arriving at the wrong time. At the start of the year, the Bundestag passed legislation to tackle some of these issues. The maximum detention period before deportation was extended from 10 to 28 days. Additionally, officials will now be allowed to enter other rooms in community accommodations, apart from the room of the individual to be deported.
However, there's a lack of deportation detention facilities. Last year, warrants were issued in over 300 deportation cases, but all 800 deportation detention places were occupied, according to Federal Police President Dieter Romann.
The federal chairman of the German Police Union (DPolG), Rainer Wendt, believes that deportation processes are excessively complex and involve too many authorities. The competencies lie primarily with municipalities and states, with the Federal Police playing a role in execution. "The Federal Police needs legal competencies to conduct these deportations independently, which includes procuring documents abroad and operating its own deportation detention facilities," Wendt conveyed to the German Press Agency.
If Minister of the Interior, Nancy Faeser (SPD), had her way, pocket knives with blade lengths exceeding six centimeters in public places would be prohibited, with a general ban on carrying dangerous switchblades. Whether this would deter attackers who willfully carry out an attack is debatable. Terrorism expert Peter Neumann expresses doubt, noting that attackers would simply use cars or trucks to drive into crowds.
Can Germany control who enters the country?
To some extent, yes. However, border controls with Poland, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, and Austria are sporadic. Faeser and Federal Police President Romann view these controls as successful, citing the apprehension of smugglers, border rejections, and a decrease in illegal entries.
However, individuals seeking asylum are mostly allowed to enter the country. If someone is deported, it's uncertain if they would not reenter later or at another point. CDU MP and Vice-Chairman of the Union faction, Jens Spahn, believes that Germany's borders should be closed for irregular migration. The method, however, remains unclear.
Faeser, on the other hand, wants to maintain border controls until fewer individuals enter Europe illegally. She argues that Germany accepts more migrants than other countries, which she considers unfair. She stated last week that she is no longer willing to accept this distribution of numbers within Europe. In Berlin, there's hope for the impact of tightened European asylum rules, but these still need to be implemented.
Given the background, here are two sentences that contain the phrase "Federal police":
The suspect was apprehended by the Federal police and charged with suspected affiliation with the Islamic State (IS) terrorist militia and murder.
According to Federal Police President Dieter Romann, there's a lack of deportation detention facilities, with warrants issued in over 300 deportation cases but all 800 deportation detention places being occupied.
