Germany targets Afghan criminals for deportation amid outcry
The German Interior Minister, Nancy Faeser, declared on Thursday that they are working on deporting a larger number of criminals to Afghanistan. This follows a brutal attack by a migrant on a group of kindergarten children in Aschaffenburg. An Afghan man killed a 2-year-old and a man who tried to protect the children.
"We are the only country in Europe that has deported serious criminals back to Afghanistan for the first time since the Taliban rule," stated the German Interior Minister during a press conference in Berlin.
"We are working hard on deporting more criminals to Afghanistan," emphasized Nancy Faeser.
An Afghan man attacked a group of children
On Wednesday, a 28-year-old Enamullah O. from Afghanistan attacked a kindergarten group with a knife in a park in Aschaffenburg, killing two people: a 2-year-old boy and a 41-year-old man who tried to defend the children.
The perpetrator of the brutal attack was arrested. It was revealed that he arrived in Germany in November 2022 through Bulgaria. Bavarian authorities reported that his asylum application was rejected in June 2023, but deportation to Bulgaria did not take place due to procedural errors.
Enamullah O. had mental health issues and was treated multiple times in psychiatric facilities. He had criminal records for drug offences, violence, and assault on officers. No evidence of an Islamist background for the attack was found. Bavarian authorities stated that the Afghan expressed willingness to voluntarily leave Germany, which nevertheless did not happen.
Reactions from politicians
The German Interior Minister criticized the Dublin system, which assigns the responsibility for examining an asylum application to the first country the refugee arrives in.
"Once again, we see that the Dublin system no longer works," assessed Faeser.
Leaders of the Christian Democratic parties, Friedrich Merz and Markus Soeder, are demanding stricter immigration policies. Merz criticized Germany’s immigration policy over the last 10 years, announcing that as chancellor, he will implement permanent border controls.
"Germany must prioritize national law," emphasized Merz.
