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Rabat – German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has pledged to intensify deportations in the wake of a deadly mass stabbing in Solingen, which has amplified political tensions and criticism over Germany’s migration policies.
The stabbing, which was reportedly carried out by a 26-year-old Syrian national with suspected ties to the Islamic State group, resulted in three deaths and eight injuries, some serious.
During a visit to the site of the attack on Monday, Scholz vowed to enhance efforts to deport individuals who are not permitted to stay in Germany. His remarks come amid mounting pressure from the far-right opposition and heightened scrutiny of his government’s handling of migration issues.
The attack occurred on Friday evening during a festival celebrating Solingen’s 650-year history. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack, saying that the suspect “carried out the attack in revenge for Muslims in Palestine and everywhere.”
Scholz emphasized the need for action to “ensure that those who cannot and are not allowed to stay in Germany are repatriated and deported.”
“This was terrorism, terrorism against us all,” the chancellor added as he laid a flower at the crime scene.
Scholz reiterated in his remarks his previous commitment to significantly ramp up deportations, a promise initially made in October 2023 and reaffirmed following a similar incident in June involving an Afghan man who fatally stabbed a police officer in Mannheim.
The chancellor reported that deportations have increased by approximately two-thirds compared to 2021 levels but stressed that further action is necessary.
The attack has fueled political tensions as Germany prepares for state elections in Saxony, Thuringia, and Brandenburg next month. The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has used the incident to bolster its anti-migration campaign, with Thuringia’s leading AfD candidate, Bjoern Hoecke, leveraging the attack in his electoral messaging.
