Germany's Deportation Debate Heats Up After Solingen Attack

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has pledged to intensify deportations following a deadly mass stabbing in Solingen, Germany. The attack, linked to Islamic State, has heightened political tensions and drawn criticism of the government's migration policies. With upcoming state elections, both far-right and center-right parties are leveraging the incident in their campaigns.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz vowed to intensify deportations on Monday during a visit to Solingen, where a deadly mass stabbing linked to Islamic State has emboldened the far-right opposition and stoked criticism of his government's migration policies.

"We will have to do everything we can to ensure that those who cannot and are not allowed to stay in Germany are repatriated and deported," Scholz stated in the western city, laying a flower at the crime scene. "This was terrorism, terrorism against us all," he added. The attack, involving a 26-year-old suspected Islamic State member from Syria accused of killing three people, has aggravated political tensions over asylum and deportation rules ahead of next month's state elections.

The militant Islamist group claimed responsibility for the attack, which occurred on Friday evening during a festival celebrating Solingen's 650-year history. Alongside the three deaths, eight were injured, some seriously. The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, campaigning for stricter migration controls, leads polls in Saxony and Thuringia ahead of Sunday's state elections, and in Brandenburg, which holds its election on Sept. 22.

Thuringia's AfD candidate, Bjoern Hoecke, has utilized the attack in his campaign, pitching to voters the choice of "Hoecke or Solingen." However, pollsters Stefan Merz of Infratest dimap and Manfred Guellner of Forsa told Reuters the attack is unlikely to garner more votes for the far-right, as their supporters are already motivated by migration issues. Merz suggested that the centre-right CDU might gain at the expense of Scholz's centre-left Social Democrats, trailing in the polls.

Scholz, whose Social Democrats are in a fragile coalition with the Greens and Free Democrats, reiterated his October 2023 promise to ramp up deportations, which he repeated after visiting the Solingen attack scene. Scholz emphasized that deportations had increased by two-thirds compared to 2021 but added, "that is no reason for us to sit back and relax," noting ongoing efforts to boost numbers through legal and practical measures.

Authorities had reportedly planned to deport the suspect to Bulgaria last year under EU asylum rules, but the attempt failed as the suspect was not at his refugee accommodation. A government spokesperson clarified that the deportation failed in practice, not legally.

Additional reporting by Miranda Murray and Andreas Rinke in Berlin, Ludwig Burger in Frankfurt. Editing by Friederike Heine and William Maclean.

(With inputs from agencies.)