German Chancellor Promises Increased Deportations of Refugees During Visit to Solingen

A few days after a knife attack in the city of Solingen in western Germany, the Chancellor of the country promised that his government would deport more refugees. Olaf Scholz visited Solingen on Monday, September 5, to pay respects to the victims of the attack. He told reporters, "We must do everything we can to ensure that those who do not have the right to stay in Germany or cannot have it are returned and deported." Referring to the attack a few days earlier in the city, he stated, "It was terrorism, terrorism against all of us." The knife attack occurred during the Solingen music festival on the evening of Wednesday, September 2, leaving three dead and eight injured, some of whom are in critical condition, according to police. Initially, ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack without providing evidence, and about 24 hours later, police announced that a Syrian man, who is the "main suspect," had surrendered. This attack has fueled a verbal conflict among political figures and parties in Germany over asylum laws and the deportation of refugees. In the coming days and weeks, state elections are set to take place in Thuringia, Saxony, and Brandenburg, and according to polls, the far-right and anti-immigrant party "Alternative for Germany" (AfD) is leading in all three states. The music festival where the Solingen attack occurred was held to commemorate the 650th anniversary of the city's founding. According to German police, the victims of this attack were two men aged 56 and 67, and a 56-year-old woman. Reports also indicate that one of the injured was a young Iranian refugee who, like the other victims, was attacked in the neck.