KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – In the wake of a deadly knife attack in Bavaria that left a two-year-old boy and an adult passerby dead, Germany’s main opposition leader, Friedrich Merz, has vowed to implement immediate border controls if his party wins the upcoming federal elections next month.
The attack, which occurred in the city of Aschaffenburg on Wednesday, saw a 28-year-old Afghan asylum seeker stab several people, including a young boy of Moroccan descent and a 41-year-old man who attempted to intervene. Three others were injured in the incident.
The assailant, who had a history of violent behavior and had been undergoing psychiatric treatment, was arrested at the scene. Although his asylum process had been closed and he had been asked to leave Germany, he remained in the country under treatment at the time of the attack.
According to Reuters, Merz, leader of the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU), has seized on the tragedy to advocate for stringent immigration policies. He criticized Germany’s current asylum system, calling it a “failure” and accusing it of having “ruined” the country’s immigration policies over the past decade.
“We are facing the consequences of a misguided asylum and immigration policy that has gone on for far too long,” Merz said. “This cannot be allowed to become the new normal. If I become chancellor, I will impose permanent border controls immediately and ensure that all illegal immigrants, including those seeking asylum, are turned away at the border.”
The deadly attack has sparked heated debates within Germany’s political landscape. Chancellor Olaf Scholz, whose Social Democrats (SPD) are trailing in the polls, condemned the attack as an “unbelievable act of terror” and expressed frustration over the growing frequency of violent incidents involving asylum seekers. Scholz emphasized the need for a thorough investigation into why the attacker was still in Germany despite his deportation order.
However, Merz’s proposals have drawn criticism from some quarters. Interior Minister Nancy Faeser defended Germany’s current efforts to deport individuals to Afghanistan and highlighted the breakdown of the Dublin system. She also raised concerns about whether Merz’s approach would be compatible with EU laws and warned against using the tragedy for political gain.
The debate over immigration has become a central issue in German politics, with far-right parties like the Alternative for Germany (AfD) gaining ground by capitalizing on growing concerns over crime and the integration of migrants. Some in Germany blame the large-scale influx of asylum seekers, particularly from Afghanistan and the Middle East, during former Chancellor Angela Merkel’s tenure in 2015, for exacerbating these issues.
In response to the attack, the AfD has called for a major shift in Germany’s asylum policy, including closer cooperation with the Afghan Taliban to facilitate the return of failed asylum seekers. Although Merz and the AfD share similar views on tightening immigration laws, they differ on the practicalities of dealing with asylum seekers from Afghanistan, a country where security remains fragile.
The ongoing debate over Germany’s asylum policies is likely to intensify as the country approaches its upcoming elections. How the next government handles the issue of migration will undoubtedly have a significant impact on the nation’s future, particularly in light of the growing support for more restrictive measures among the electorate.
