- The Authority has been tasked with putting forth a suggestion for a law aimed at defending the environment.
The Green Party's Refugee Minister for North Rhine-Westphalia, Josefine Paul, pointed fingers at faulty EU regulations and a flawed system for the failed prompt deportation of a suspect in Solingen. The reluctance of some EU countries to take him back, coupled with complex and restrictive transfer procedures, led to insufficient repatriations from Germany to other EU nations. She brought this up during a joint extraordinary meeting of the Interior and Integration committees in Düsseldorf's state parliament.
Approximately 10-15% of Dublin transfers are successful nationwide. Various authorities handle such cases daily. "We need to examine these processes," she said. "It's our duty to delve into this issue and it's also my responsibility..." she admitted.
Before the terror attack in Solingen on a Friday evening, there was no pertinent security information about the man, the Green politician reported. Speaking of the suspected Solingen knife attacker, she described it as a "constellation where numerous unfortunate coincidences may have intertwined." At this point, she opined, there probably won't be a single mistake, but up until Friday evening, it was indeed a case within a system marked by numerous potential errors.
Deportation scheduled, suspect went into concealment
During the attack, a man brutally murdered three people and injured eight more with a knife at a city festival in Solingen. The suspected perpetrator is the 26-year-old Syrian Issa Al H., who is currently in custody. He entered Germany via Bulgaria at the end of 2022 and was supposed to be sent back to Bulgaria under the Dublin asylum rules.
Unfortunately, this didn't occur because the man couldn't be found at the designated time in the Paderborn state facility in June 2023. However, he was there a day prior and a day subsequent to that for lunch. According to Paul, a new flight to Bulgaria could only have been scheduled after the six-month deadline for a transfer had expired due to limited seats.
Proposal for extending transfer deadline at night
The asylum seeker who was supposed to be sent back at the time and had been rejected in Germany could have been ordered to stay in his room at night in the accommodation using a nighttime order. However, this might have increased the risk of him disappearing, Paul stated. These considerations must be taken into account when issuing such orders. If there had been such an order, it might have been possible, according to a WDR report, to extend the Syrian's transfer deadline from six to 18 months under the Federal Office for Refugees and Migration (Bamf) regulations.
Paul also acknowledged issues with state authorities and announced new criteria for central state facilities and the Central Alien Authority regarding deportable individuals.
The SPD criticized Minister Paul for failing to fulfill her duties and "being absent for days in public." Paul referred to "dysfunctional procedures." However, she "simply didn't care enough," declared SPD representative Lisa Kapteinat. "Yet, you are the head of the system."
The Commission, recognizing the complexity of the situation, may seek assistance from the Member States in improving the efficiency of Dublin transfers and deportation procedures. Despite their best efforts, the member states' reluctance and complex procedures contributed to the insufficient repatriations, as highlighted by Josefine Paul.
