After the deadly knife attack in Solingen, Germany, the interior minister of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, where the city is located, called for stricter controls at Germany’s borders and for refugees to be refused entry.
“I believe there is no other way,” Herbert Reul said on public radio Deutschlandfunk. The conservative politician said the most important step would be to restrict immigration. He claimed that deportations to Afghanistan and Syria – where the main suspect comes from – are correct.
On Friday evening, three people were stabbed to death at a city festival in Solingen. Eight people were injured, four seriously. The suspected perpetrator is a 26-year-old Syrian.
The Federal Public Prosecution Service is investigating him for murder and suspicion of membership of the terrorist militia Islamic State.
Regarding refugee policy, Reul said there is a political loss of trust among the population. He said this is also because problems have been ignored for too long.
The State Minister of the Interior does not consider himself politically responsible for possible errors in the deportation process of the suspect from Solingen.
He referred to the North Rhine-Westphalian Ministry for Children, Youth, Family, Equality, Refuge and Integration and the responsible minister Josefine Paul. “There are open questions that my colleague Paul is now also dealing with.”
Reul called for a cross-party initiative and a round table. “Former President (Joachim) Gauck said months ago: We cannot take everyone in and we are overburdening ourselves and our society.” Reul said that restricting immigration is now unquestionable.
