If part of the government: Markus Söder announces de facto "border closure for illegal migration"

Schaumburger Nachrichten If part of the government: Markus Söder announces de facto "border closure for illegal migration" 3 hours • 3 minutes reading time After the knife attack in Aschaffenburg, Bavaria, which left two people dead, Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) has predicted a sharp change of course in migration policy after the intended takeover of the federal government. In fact, there will be "a border closure for illegal migration," Söder said in Munich. He has agreed on this and further steps with Union Chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz (CDU). "Our motto must be: security first," said the CSU chairman. Of course, Germany is a humane country. "But in the end, that cannot be at the expense of its own population." Therefore, "zero tolerance, zero compromise" will be the guiding principle of the migration policy of a Union-led federal government. The basic goal must be: "fewer people into the country and many people out of the country." There must be the possibility of rejections at the borders, including for the Bavarian border police, demanded Söder. And deportations must finally take place regularly, perhaps even daily. Herrmann: Deportation failed due to expired deadline According to Bavaria's Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann, the alleged attacker from Aschaffenburg was not deported, among other things, because a deadline had passed. The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (Bamf) rejected the man's asylum application on June 19, 2023 and ordered deportation to Bulgaria in accordance with the rules of the Dublin procedure, said the CSU politician in Munich. The authority did indeed inform the Afghan himself of this. However, "due to whatever errors and problems" the Bavarian immigration authorities did not inform the Bamf until July 26, more than a month later - a few days before the deadline for such a deportation expired. "It is obvious that if a Bavarian authority learns on July 26 that someone is now to be deported to another country, such a return cannot be organized within six days - especially if it comes completely unprepared," said Herrmann. After the deportation failed to take place, the asylum procedure was handled by the BAMF, which did not decide on it - until the suspect himself announced in December 2024 that he wanted to travel to Afghanistan. According to Herrmann, the fact that the man did not put his announcement into action was probably also due to the fact that he had not yet received the necessary papers from the Afghan Consulate General - and thus could not leave the country. Herrmann added, however, that even if the asylum application had been rejected earlier by the BAMF, it would have been difficult to return the man to Afghanistan under the current rules. So far there has only been one corresponding flight. Aschaffenburg's mayor Herzing: "We see the parallels" Aschaffenburg's mayor Jürgen Herzing (SPD) has called for prudence after the attack on a kindergarten group. "A refugee attacks innocent people, injures and kills them. We see the parallels," said Herzing, referring to the fatal drive in Magdeburg and the knife attacks in Solingen and a few years ago in Würzburg. However, he stressed: "We can and must never hold the actions of an individual against an entire population group." Despite anger, grief and "thoughts of revenge," one should not "set in motion a spiral of violence and hatred," warned the SPD politician. The police will investigate the motive for the attack. The political consequences will be the subject of many discussions in the coming period. "As if my own child had died" The mayor remembered the victims of the attack with personal words. "I feel as if my own child had died - or my brother had died or been injured," said the mayor at the scene. "I think that's the same for many others." As a long-time firefighter, he has seen and experienced many terrible things, said Herzing. "But I can't remember an act that has touched me so much and I'm so upset as I'm sure many others have." According to Herzing, a memorial service will be held on Sunday in the Stiftskirche in Aschaffenburg. In addition, a condolence book will be available in the atrium of the town hall.