Enab Baladi – Hassan Ibrahim

The stabbing incident in the city of Solingen in western Germany, which led to the death of three people and the injury of eight others, has strongly impacted both the German public and the refugee community, especially Syrians, knowing that the perpetrator was of Syrian nationality and that the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack.

The incident has led to repercussions in the corridors of power and among some opposition parties that are against the presence of refugees or advocate for reducing their numbers. However, it also reflected the Syrians’ love for peace, their rejection of terrorism and violence, and their desire to live in a geographical area, even temporarily, that protects them from the horrors of displacement, racism, and violations. They aim to correct the distorted image that has been tarnished by circumstances over the past 13 years.

The attack occurred in a country that welcomed and sheltered about one million Syrians, sparking fears of a more negative and stereotyped view of them. As a result, voices of Syrians condemning the attack emerged on social media, and solidarity protests with the victims’ families were organized, including moments of silence for the victims’ souls.

Random stabbing

The attack occurred on August 23, during a vibrant festival in the center of Solingen, celebrating the city’s 650th anniversary. The perpetrator randomly stabbed many celebrating visitors with a knife, resulting in the death of three people and the injury of eight others.

The next day, the perpetrator, a 26-year-old Syrian, surrendered to the German authorities, with the Islamic State group claiming responsibility for the attack. Following this, senior officials moved to increase deportation operations and planned to launch a package of measures related to asylum and security policies.

The perpetrator hailed from the city of Deir Ezzor and lived in refugee accommodations in Solingen, having entered the European Union through Bulgaria in 2022, and applied for asylum in the German city of Bielefeld.

The central immigration office in Bielefeld faced criticism for taking insufficient measures to locate him and convince him to return to Bulgaria, as he was initially supposed to be deported to Bulgaria in 2023 under the Dublin Regulation.

Condemnation and rejection from Syrians

On August 31, Syrian and Arab activists organized a humanitarian stand in Germany, in solidarity with the families of the Solingen attack victims, at the site of the stabbing incident, following calls on social media.

Syrian boxer Haidar Warda, residing in Germany, told Enab Baladi during the solidarity stand, “The criminal represents only himself and does not represent the Syrians.” He added that the German people embraced the Syrians and stood by them at a time when Arab countries abandoned them.

He pointed out the necessity of solidarity with the German people and condemning any criminal act targeting this country which has sheltered refugees and offered condolences to the victims’ families.

Warda believes that Syrians have proven to the German people over the past years that they are constructive, providing doctors, engineers, workers, and expertise in various fields, stating that “killing and crime are prohibited in all customs and religions, and the perpetrator does not represent Syrians.”

Azeddine, a young participant in the solidarity stand, told Enab Baladi that the Syrian people suffered from the fires of terrorist organizations and sought refuge in Germany from the horrors of war, bombing, destruction, and death, to save what remained of his life and future, searching for a place where he feels like “just a human being.”

The young man expressed his condemnation of the incident, adding that he arrived in Germany about a year ago and felt it his duty to stand in solidarity with the victims’ families, sending a message of affection to the German people and this country for what they have offered refugees and their integration into a new society.

Syrians issued a joint statement circulated on social media, signed by several writers, researchers, novelists, and activists, in unlimited solidarity with the families of the innocent victims, wishing the injured a speedy recovery, and calling for the punishment of the perpetrators of the crime and those who helped or supported them.

The statement mentioned that Syrians sought refuge in Germany first for safety after suffering from “the terrorism of tyranny, dictatorship, Islamic extremism and its armed militias, and systematic killing, imprisonment, torture, enforced disappearance, destruction, and displacement.”

It added that Syrians came seeking freedom, dignity, human rights, democracy, and more advanced horizons in education and work for themselves and their children, and that the safest stance against such actions is to affirm the values of coexistence.

Lilas Dakhlallah, a researcher in social media studies residing in Germany, believes that the Solingen stabbing attack negatively affected the German public and society, increasing prejudices and generalizations about refugees and deepening the gap between migrants and citizens.

The researcher told Enab Baladi that solidarity stances are important as they reflect refugees’ rejection of these crimes and highlight the necessity of punishing criminals in any society.

Measures to tighten asylum laws

Following the Solingen attack, German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser and Justice Minister Marco Buschmann announced on August 29 the details of a package of measures related to asylum and security policies, which they described as “broad-scale measures” aimed at improving migration control and enhancing internal security.

Among the new measures to be voted on by the German parliament are denying refugees the right to asylum if they travel to their home countries without a compelling humanitarian reason, such as attending a relative’s funeral.

The measures also include banning the carrying of knives on public transportation (long distances) and expanding the federal police’s authority to search train stations and use stun guns (tasers), along with imposing a complete ban on knives at public events such as festivals, fairs, and markets.

Additionally, the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) will be granted the authority to use biometric data from the internet to verify migrants’ identities, and a Dublin Task Force will be formed by the federal government and states to facilitate the deportation of refugees registered in other European countries.

Positive environment for refugees

Germany is one of the countries that welcomed Syrian refugees on its land, granting them the right to work, access to educational and professional opportunities, and providing them with integration courses, legal consultations, and numerous aids.

The number of Syrian refugees in Germany is estimated at around 972,000 by the end of 2023, according to the Federal Statistical Office of Germany, while the population of Germany is approximately 82 million.

In 2023, more than 351,000 people applied for asylum in Germany, with Syrian applicants estimated at 31.3%.

Thus, Syria topped the initial applications for 2023, with more than 102,000 applications, an increase of about 45% compared to 2022, according to the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees in Germany (BMAF).

Last April, the Federal Commissioner for integrating refugees into the labor market, Daniel Terzenbach, stated that around 70% of Syrian men have jobs, adding, “We still have a lot to catch up on when it comes to integrating women.”