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German chancellor vows to deport criminals following brutal attack by Afghan migrant
Chancellor Olaf Scholz vowed Thursday that Germany will start deporting criminals from Afghanistan and Syria again after a knife attack by an Afghan immigrant last week left one police officer dead and four more people injured.
The brutal attack in Mannheim, which was captured on video and quickly went viral online, shocked the country, Associated News reported.
Scholz addressed parliament in a speech focused on security Thursday, just days before European elections in which far-right populists across the continent are expected to make big gains.
“It outrages me when someone who has sought protection here commits the most serious crimes. Such criminals should be deported, even if they come from Syria and Afghanistan,” the chancellor said to the applause of lawmakers.
The 25-year-old attacker, who killed a 29-year-old police officer who was trying to stop him, came to Germany in 2014 as an asylum-seeker, AP reported.
“Serious criminals and terrorist threats have no place here,” Scholz added. “In such cases, Germany’s security interests outweigh the interests of the perpetrator.”
Migration has been one of the major topics during the European election campaign that far-right and mainstream parties have been exploiting in order to garner votes from Europeans who have felt disgruntled by millions of new arrivals looking for refuge from wars, hunger, climate change or just trying to build up a better future for themselves.
Referring to Friday’s knife attack, Scholz said that “what happened in Mannheim — the fatal knife attack on a young policeman — is an expression of the misanthropic ideology of radical Islamism. There is only one term for this: terror. Let’s declare war to terror.”
Germany does not currently carry out any deportations to Afghanistan or Syria.
The chancellor said in his speech that his government was already working on solutions to enable the deportation of convicted Afghans to Afghanistan’s neighboring countries. There have been discussions in Germany about allowing deportations to Syria again.
Scholz also promised that deportation rules for all others who commit or support terrorism will be toughened as well.
Many Germans initially welcomed migrants when more than 1 million people from Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq came in 2015-16 following wars and instability in their home countries, but the mood has changed in recent years, AP reported.
Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi met on Wednesday with Yasmine Praz Dessimoz, Director General of Operations at the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), to discuss Afghanistan’s humanitarian situation.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that the meeting covered the country’s humanitarian needs, the increasing number of returning migrants, healthcare services, and problems and needs remaining from the war.
The two sides emphasized the importance of continuing and expanding the ICRC’s humanitarian cooperation and expressed readiness for greater coordination in healthcare and other humanitarian areas.
The meeting also highlighted that Afghanistan has emerged from a prolonged period of war and has now entered a new phase of development and economic growth. However, some problems and needs of war victims still require attention.
Security officials in Afghanistan’s northeastern Badakhshan province say the situation in Zebak district is currently stable, but claim that Pakistan is providing shelter and training to opponents of the Islamic Emirate in the Chitral region.
Abdul Basir Mazhari, Badakhshan’s police chief, said opponents of the Islamic Emirate have established shelters and training facilities near the Durand Line in Chitral.
He claimed the groups could attempt to use the Shah Salim Pass to disrupt security in Badakhshan and other northeastern provinces.
“There is evidence that Pakistan has established shelters and training centers for opponents of the government near the Durand Line,” Mazhari said. “Badakhshan is the only province in the north that shares a border with Pakistan, and Pakistan has gathered opponents of the government in Chitral.”
Despite the claims, residents in central Zebak said daily life remains normal and there have been no signs of fighting in the area.
Badakhshan security officials said their forces have been deployed along the Durand Line and remain on standby to respond to any potential threats.
According to local officials, Zebak district has three routes connecting it to areas across the Durand Line, with security forces stationed in the area.
Football fans across Afghanistan can watch Tottenham Hotspur take on Charlton Athletic live on Ariana Television Network (ATN) tonight, Wednesday, August 26, with coverage beginning at 23:15 Kabul time.
The two London clubs meet in the second round of the EFL Cup, with Tottenham looking to progress while Charlton will aim to produce an upset against their Premier League opponents.
Tottenham enter the match as favourites on paper, with their greater top-flight experience expected to make them the stronger side. However, cup football can produce surprises, and Charlton will be looking to take advantage of any opportunity at their disposal.
The match provides Tottenham with another chance to build momentum early in the season, while Charlton will see the tie as an opportunity to test themselves against one of England’s biggest clubs.
The EFL Cup remains an important route to silverware for clubs across the English football pyramid, with teams aiming to advance through each round toward the final at Wembley.
Afghanistan fans can watch Tottenham Hotspur vs Charlton Athletic live tonight on Ariana Television, from 23:15 Kabul time.
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