Germany’s coalition government on Thursday agreed to tighten security and asylum policies following a deadly stabbing attack linked to the Islamic State militant group which has fueled far-right opposition and criticism of Berlin’s migration policies approach.
Three people were killed and eight wounded in the attack which took place during a festival in Solingen as the western city was marking 650 years. The incident has heightened political dispute over asylum and deportation rules ahead of next month’s state elections as the suspect was a failed asylum seeker from Syria.
The package introduces stricter gun regulations, including tighter ownership rules, a general ban on switchblades, and an absolute ban on knives at public events such as folk festivals, sporting events and trade fairs.
Federal law officers will be authorized to use Tasers, and background checks for weapon permits will include new federal agencies to prevent extremists from obtaining weapons.
Berlin will also tighten asylum and residency laws and procedures, including lowering the threshold for “severe deportation,” when the deportee has committed a crime involving a weapon or dangerous tool.
Criteria for excluding individuals from asylum or refugee status will be tightened, including harsher penalties for serious crimes, including for youth offenders.
Asylum seekers will be excluded from receiving benefits in Germany if they have claims in other European countries and refugees who travel to their home countries without compelling reasons risk losing their protection status, the document read.
This rule would not apply to Ukrainian refugees, it said.
The government will push for reforms to the Common European Asylum System, simplifying transfers and deportations, and will also seek to enable the deportation of individuals who have committed serious crimes or are considered terrorist threats to Afghanistan and Syria.
The package also outlines measures to combat “violent Islamism,” including giving law enforcement authorities permission to use biometric data from publicly accessible online sources for facial recognition to identify suspects.
The government will strengthen the domestic intelligence agency’s powers when it comes to financial investigations and continue to ban Islamist organizations, according to a government document outlining the measures.
