– Steinmeier calls for a limitation of unregulated migration movements
Federal President Steinmeier remains tough on asylum rights
Our Federal President, Frank-Walter Steinmeierremains firm on asylum rights, but calls for measures to curb illegal immigration. At a memorial event for the victims of the suspected Islamist attack in Solingen, Steinmeier stressed that Germany has good reasons for taking in people who are fleeing political persecution and war and claiming asylum. History shows that Germany survived the Nazi era in the last century by keeping other countries' borders open. “We want to preserve this art of our country,” Steinmeier told around 450 mourners, “as long as the influx of those who cannot claim protection does not overwhelm us.”
Unit for implementation
“The refugees must comply with our laws and regulations,” demanded Steinmeier. It is important to carefully implement the existing and future access regulations. “This is a major task that must be a priority in the coming years,” he added. This national effort is expected of itself and the German people – regardless of political parties and administrative hierarchies.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz attended the memorial service and later wrote on the X platform: “The attack cuts deeply and arouses anger. Learning from it is our duty towards them and their families.” The SPD politician mourned the victims of #Solingen “with their families, with this city, with all of Germany.”
In his eulogy, Steinmeier admitted that the state had not fulfilled its duty of protection and security in Solingen. Both must be thoroughly investigated. The last of the successful immigration quotas must not have fallen on committed people – such as municipal and community workers, volunteers, police officers and those already burdened. “We must not burden the kind-hearted.”
The act of violence hits Germany at the heart
The act of violence hits the heart of the country, explained Steinmeier, a “friendly, open, diverse nation”. The attack pierces our national identity, “where people of different origins live and want to live together peacefully – who have lived here for generations and who have recently joined us”. The head of state emphasized: “It was precisely there, exactly there, that the perpetrator of the attack in Solingen wanted to ignite his hatred.”
The main suspect in the attack is a 26-year-old Syrian man who came to Germany as a refugee via Bulgaria and is currently in custody. The terrorist organization Islamic State (IS) has claimed responsibility for the attack. “Fanatic Islamists want to destroy what we value: our open society, our way of life, our community, our freedom,” said Steinmeier. “We will not allow the terrorists' strategy to succeed, or their disgusting ideology to bear fruit, but we feel fear and insecurity. Both are permissible.” But fear should not paralyze us.
After the memorial service, Steinmeier visited the crime scene, stood silently in memory of the victims and bowed his head in silent mourning.
Steinmeier stressed the importance of respecting asylum rights for people fleeing political persecution and war, pointing to Germany's history of relying on other countries' open borders. He also called for those seeking refuge in Germany to respect its laws and regulations, stressing the need for careful implementation of existing and future access regulations.
