In response to the Islamist terrorist attack in Solingen, Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser, Federal Minister of Justice Marco Buschmann and State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action Anja Hajduk have presented a package of security measures. The Federal Government aims to make adjustments in three areas: “We will tighten weapons law, and we will increase the powers of our security authorities to combat Islamist extremism even more rigorously than before. We will push even harder to enforce returns, including in cases under the Dublin Regulation. And we will take further measures to reduce irregular migration”, Federal Minister Faeser said at a press conference in Berlin on Thursday.

Tightening weapons law

Among other things, regulations on an individual’s right to carry weapons are to be tightened. The package of measures will also introduce a ban on knives at festivals, sporting events and similar public gatherings. In addition, the federal states are to be authorised to introduce a total ban on knives in places with high crime rates, such as train stations. The federal states can already prohibit the carrying of knives with a blade length of four centimetres or more on public transport. Interior Minister Faeser stressed: “Prohibitions need effective checks. That’s why we will give the federal states further powers to carry out checks. In future, the Federal Police will also have the option to carry out random checks regardless of any suspicion of wrongdoing.” In addition, the requirements for weapons licences are to be made stricter. “No weapons for extremists. To make sure of this, we will make the requirements for weapons licences stricter. In future, the Federal Police, the Federal Criminal Police Office and the Customs Criminological Office will also be consulted if someone applies for a weapons licence or if the trustworthiness of an applicant is checked,” Federal Minister Faeser said.

Strengthening the fight against Islamist extremism

The security authorities are to be given additional powers, especially in the digital realm, in order to make the fight against Islamists more targeted and effective. “In future, investigating authorities will be given powers for biometric matching with internet data, otherwise known as facial recognition. This will enable them to identify suspects or wanted persons more quickly.” The authorities will also be permitted to make use of artificial intelligence tools. Federal Minister Faeser also referred to the extremist associations that have been banned in the past few months. In July, the Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community banned the Islamisches Zentrum Hamburg (IZH), which had sub-organisations all over Germany.

Reducing irregular migration

Further measures on the right of residence and return were also presented. Federal Minister Faeser explained: “Those who are not entitled to protection in Germany will have to leave our country more quickly.” Individuals whose asylum procedures must be carried out in other member states (“Dublin cases”), and whom the member state in question has already agreed to the readmit, will no longer receive benefits in Germany. Those who travel to their home country without a compelling reason, such as the funeral of a close relative, are to have their refugee or subsidiary protection status withdrawn. In order to remove bureaucratic and legal hurdles, a task force is to be set up by federal and state governments to increase the number of Dublin returns. Federal Minister Faeser also announced further talks with representatives of the federal states in order to initiate further measures.