Politics After Solingen: Germany adopts package of measures

As a consequence of the deadly knife attack in Solingen, the German government has agreed on new measures to protect against Islamist terror, combat irregular migration and tighten gun laws. This was revealed to the German Press Agency by government circles.

Interior Minister Nancy Faeser, Justice Minister Marco Buschmann and Anja Hajduk, State Secretary in the Ministry of Economic Affairs, wanted to provide information on the details this afternoon. Berlin had already started to put together a package of measures in response to the attack last weekend. Among other things, this now includes making it easier to deport rejected asylum seekers.

On Wednesday, Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) also announced talks with the federal states and the Christian Democrats as the largest opposition force. A working group, which includes representatives from all three "traffic light" parties (SPD, FDP, Greens), is to meet for the first time next week.

Alleged perpetrator should have been deported

In the suspected Islamist attack in Solingen, an attacker killed three people with a knife and injured eight others at a town festival on Friday evening. The alleged perpetrator is 26-year-old Syrian Issa Al H., who is in custody.

The German federal prosecutor's office is investigating him on charges including murder and suspected membership of the Islamic State (IS) terrorist militia. The latter had claimed responsibility for the crime. The alleged perpetrator was supposed to have been deported to Bulgaria last year, but this failed.