Germany tightens security and asylum policy after fatal stabbing at festival

Germany's coalition government agreed on Thursday to tighten security and asylum policies following a deadly knife attack linked to the militant terrorist group Islamic State. The attack sparked far-right opposition and criticism of Berlin's migration policy.

Three people were killed and eight injured in the attack, which took place during a festival in Solingen to mark the city's 650th anniversary. The incident has escalated the political dispute over asylum and deportation rules ahead of state elections next month, as the suspect is a rejected asylum seeker from Syria.

The package introduces stricter gun laws, including stricter ownership rules, a general ban on switchblades and an absolute ban on knives at public events such as festivals, sporting events and trade fairs.

Federal police officers will be authorized to use tasers, and new federal authorities will be included in gun license background checks to prevent extremists from acquiring weapons.

Berlin will also tighten the laws and procedures in the asylum and residence areas. Among other things, the hurdle for a “serious deportation” will be lowered if the person being deported has committed a crime in which a weapon or a dangerous tool is used.

The criteria for excluding individuals from asylum or refugee status are being tightened. This includes harsher penalties for serious crimes, including for juvenile offenders.

Asylum seekers would be excluded from receiving benefits in Germany if they were entitled to them in other European countries and refugees who returned to their home countries without compelling reasons would risk losing their protection status, the document says.

This regulation does not apply to Ukrainian refugees, it was said.

The government will push for reforms to the Common European Asylum System to simplify transfers and deportations and will seek to facilitate the deportation of people who have committed serious crimes or are considered a terrorist threat to Afghanistan and Syria.

The package also outlines measures to combat “violent Islamism”, including allowing law enforcement to use biometric data from publicly available online sources for facial recognition to identify suspects.

The government will strengthen the powers of the domestic intelligence service in financial investigations and continue to ban Islamist organizations, according to a government document outlining the measures.