Germany’s interior minister announced on Tuesday that the country is considering the reintroduction of deportations to Afghanistan after a migrant from the Central Asian nation was accused of injuring five people and murdering a police officer in a knife attack on Friday.
The suspect, a 25-year-old failed asylum seeker, allegedly committed his acts of violence after becoming enraged during an anti-Islam rally in Mannheim.
Law enforcement officials stated that he had no known connections to extremist organizations and did not have a criminal record. He had reportedly been living in the country since 2013.
"It is clear to me that people who pose a potential threat to Germany's security must be deported quickly," Interior Minister Nancy Faeser told reporters.
"I am also quite adamant that Germany's security interests clearly outweigh the interests of those affected," she continued.
Political observers have noted that prompt action may have occurred because of recent polling that suggests nationalist parties, who have made immigration a campaign issue, will do well in elections that are scheduled for later this week.
The decision comes as Berlin suspended the repatriation of Afghans in 2021 due to fears that they would be threatened with death by the Islamist regime in Kabul.
