German Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed his support today, Thursday, for the expulsion of criminals "even if they are from Syria and Afghanistan," following a deadly knife attack that reignited this debate in the country six days ago. In a speech delivered before Bundestag members, he stated: "I feel upset when someone seeking protection in our country commits serious crimes; dangerous criminals and dangerous terrorists have no place here." The Social Democratic Chancellor added: "In such cases, Germany’s interest in security outweighs the interest of the offender," stating: "We will no longer tolerate the glorification and celebration of terrorist acts."
The expulsion of criminals to Afghanistan has been suspended in Germany since the Taliban's return to power in August 2021. Berlin also issued a decision in 2012 to suspend deportations to Syria due to the bloody conflict in that country, but has considered allowing it several times. In recent days, several voices, mostly from the right and far-right, but also from Olaf Scholz's party, have called for stricter rules following a knife attack carried out by a 25-year-old Afghan in Mannheim, which resulted in the death of a 29-year-old police officer and injuries to five others.
This attack, which occurred a week before the European elections, took place in an atmosphere of rising violence against public figures in Germany. The attacker targeted an anti-Islam gathering associated with the far-right movement. The government has referred to the possibility of an Islamist attack while the anti-terrorism prosecutor’s office has taken over the investigation. In his speech, Scholz emphasized that the Interior Ministry "is trying to make the deportation of dangerous individuals to Afghanistan possible," adding that "the ministry is in contact with neighboring countries of Afghanistan regarding its implementation."
However, this political desire faces significant practical hurdles. Like other Western countries, Berlin has severed diplomatic ties with Damascus and does not recognize the "Taliban" government that seized power by force on August 15, 2021, in Afghanistan.
