Frequent terrorist attacks before the German election have intensified the debate on immigration in Germany. The details are as follows:
Recent terrorist attacks
Munich car ramming into crowd: On February 13, 2025, a car rammed into a crowd in Munich, injuring at least 30 people. The driver was 24-year-old Afghan refugee Farhad Noori, who held a valid residence permit and had been on police record for drug-related and shoplifting, and his asylum application was rejected. Der Spiegel reported that the suspect posted religious extremist content online before launching the attack.
Aschaffenburg kindergarten knife attack: In January 2025, a kindergarten knife attack occurred in Aschaffenburg, Bavaria, killing a two-year-old boy and a man. The suspect is a 28-year-old Afghan who had his asylum application rejected and had a history of mental illness.
Solingen knife attack: In August 2024, a knife attack occurred in the western city of Solingen, killing three people and injuring eight. The suspect is a 26-year-old Syrian who was supposed to leave the country after his asylum application was rejected. The ISIS terrorist organization claimed responsibility for the incident.
Impact on the immigration debate
Public attitude: A series of terrorist attacks in Germany have caused strong panic among the public about the safety of immigrants. According to a Yougov poll, 80% of Germans believe that there have been too many immigrants in the past decade, and the public’s dissatisfaction and concerns about immigration policies have increased significantly.
Views of various political parties
SPD: Chancellor Scholz said the government has repatriated the first batch of illegal immigrants to Afghanistan and extended Germany’s border control measures for 6 months to mid-September to deal with illegal immigration and security issues.
Union Party: Advocate for a tougher stance on illegal immigration. Merz criticized the Scholz government for not cracking down on illegal immigration and expelling too few people.
Green Party: Habeck defended the reunification of immigrant families, saying it has nothing to do with illegal immigration.
Alternative for Germany: Weidel said that Germany’s domestic security is threatened and the country has lost control, and called for a major shift in immigration policy. The party called for strict border control and a reduction in the number of asylum seekers.
The deep-seated problems behind it
Security risks: German society believes that the large-scale influx of immigrants has brought about security risks that cannot be ignored. Some immigrant groups have failed to effectively integrate into the mainstream society, leading to cultural conflicts and social divisions, and the crime rate has risen. Official crime statistics show that in 2023, 34.4% of suspects were non-German citizens, an increase of 13.5% from the previous year, while the crime rate of German citizens only increased by 1%.
Political game: The immigration issue has become a tool for political games among various political parties. Right-wing parties and far-right forces use immigration issues as a weapon to attack the government. The far-right German Alternative Party has seen an increase in support, posing a challenge to traditional mainstream political parties. In order to win voters, mainstream parties have also adjusted their positions on immigration issues, making the political landscape more complicated.
Policy dilemma: Germany used to emphasize its humanitarian responsibility to receive immigrants, but now faces the dual challenges of public safety concerns and social integration. The shift of immigration policy from humanitarian care to political calculations reflects Germany’s swing between international humanitarianism and domestic political realities.
