The German government has agreed to tighter gun restrictions, stronger measures against illegal migration and other measures to combat the threat of Islamist terrorism following a deadly knife attack in the western city of Solingen over the weekend, dpa has learned from government sources.
The existing ban on carrying knives in public spaces will be extended and social benefits will be cut for a number of asylum seekers who originally registered in another EU country, Interior Minister Nancy Faeser announced in Berlin on Thursday afternoon.
A knife-wielding attacker killed three people and injured eight others Friday night during a festival on the market square in Solingen, a medium-sized city in western Germany just east of Düsseldorf.
The suspected attacker, a 26-year-old Syrian citizen identified by authorities as Issa Al H, was due to be deported from Germany to Bulgaria last year but has remained in the country.
The terrorist group Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attack. German authorities are still investigating the connection.
The suspect’s continued presence in Germany, despite the deportation order, has led to a heated debate in the country over migration and asylum policy.
There is also renewed attention for EU rules that should allow countries such as Germany to return migrants to the EU country where they originally arrived.
