Germany plans more deportations to Afghanistan after attack
The German Interior Minister, Nancy Faeser, announced on Thursday that efforts are being made to deport a larger number of criminals back to Afghanistan. This decision follows a brutal attack by a migrant on a group of kindergarten children in Aschaffenburg, during which an Afghan man killed a 2-year-old child 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 took control," stated Interior Minister Faeser 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, 28-year-old Enamullah O., originally from Afghanistan, attacked a kindergarten group with a knife in a park in Aschaffenburg, resulting in the deaths of 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 2024, but the deportation to Bulgaria did not occur due to procedural errors.
Enamullah O. had mental health issues and had been treated multiple times in psychiatric facilities. He had a criminal record for drug offenses, violence, and assault on officers. No evidence of an Islamist motive for the attack was found. Bavarian authorities stated that the Afghan individual had expressed willingness to voluntarily leave Germany, which ultimately 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 would implement permanent border controls.
"Germany must prioritize national law," emphasized Merz.
