Germany introduces bill to speed up deportations and reduce knife crime

Two weeks after a fatal stabbing in Solingen reignited debates over the country's immigration policy, Germany's coalition government on Saturday unveiled a package of measures to speed up deportations and curb knife crime.

“We have delivered,” Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser told the dpa in Berlin. “We are providing more protection against Islamist terror, stricter deportations of violent offenders, knife bans and facial recognition for criminals,” she added.

Justice Minister Marco Buschmann had previously stated that Chancellor Olaf Scholz's three-party coalition had agreed on the details of the package. The package is intended to strengthen security following the attack in Solingen, in which a 26-year-old Syrian suspect killed three people.

A corresponding draft law is before the coalition factions for discussion, said Buschmann. It could be discussed in the plenary session as early as next week.

The main features of the proposal were unveiled late last month and include stricter rules on carrying knives in public, faster deportations, tighter caps on benefits for asylum seekers and more powers for the police to deal with suspected Islamist threats.

“It is now in the hands of Parliament to get the whole thing underway quickly,” said Buschmann.

However, these measures may not go far enough for the conservative CDU/CSU opposition bloc. They are calling for strict limits on the number of asylum seekers entering the country.

On Tuesday, the three coalition parties and the conservative opposition will meet with the heads of government of the 16 federal states to work out a common position.

Opposition leader Friedrich Merz had stated in the run-up to the talks that he would only be willing to continue the talks if migrants without residence papers were immediately turned back at the German border.

Steinmeier calls for unity

Previously, Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier had called for a willingness to compromise from all sides in the cross-party talks.

Steinmeier, whose role is primarily ceremonial, said in Berlin that he was following the consultations closely and expected a common understanding.

“I am convinced that it is the task of the parties of the democratic center to develop solutions to the issues that concern many people,” said Steinmeier. This requires a party-wide effort across all party lines.

Steinmeier also promised that Germany as a whole would strive to find a solution to the problem of irregular migration.

“We must all, really all, make every effort to implement the existing and now additional rules on access restrictions,” he said.

Scholz had previously stated that the German coalition government would do its part to ensure the success of the cross-party talks.

“It won't be our fault if it doesn't work. I hope it does work because that would be good for society and peace,” he said at a meeting in his constituency of Teltow in the eastern Brandenburg state near Berlin.