Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has intensified its calls for stricter immigration policies following Wednesday's fatal stabbing in the Bavarian city of Aschaffenburg.
Newsweek has contacted AfD via email out of office hours for comment
Why It Matters
The attack, carried out by a 28-year-old rejected asylum-seeker from Afghanistan, left two people dead, including a 2-year-old boy, and three others injured. The incident has added fuel to a series of volatile debates on immigration, deportation, and border control ahead of Germany's national election on February 23.
Politico polls show former leader Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Union of Germany leading AfD by 10 points. Current Chancellor Olaf Scholz's centrist Social Democratic Party is third at 17 percent.
What to Know
The attack occurred just before noon in a park in Aschaffenburg, a city of about 72,000 people. Bavaria's top security official, Joachim Herrmann, said the assailant attacked a boy, who was part of a group of kindergarten children, with a kitchen knife.
The suspect was reportedly under German authorities' radar for prior psychiatric issues and violent tendencies. His asylum application was rejected in 2023, yet procedural delays prevented his deportation to Bulgaria, where he first entered the European Union. He reportedly informed authorities over a month ago of his intention to leave Germany voluntarily, a promise that was never fulfilled. Bavarian officials have blamed federal agencies for the failure to deport him.
AfD has leveraged this incident to amplify its hardline stance. Alice Weidel, AfD's co-leader and candidate for chancellor, has urged immediate parliamentary action to close Germany's borders and expel irregular migrants. "The knife terror of #Aschaffenburg must have consequences NOW. The Bundestag must vote next week on closing the borders and turning back illegal immigrants," Weidel wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. Despite a recent surge in popularity, all of Germany's mainstream parties have consistently ruled out forming coalitions with them.
How Has the German Government Responded?
Scholz said that authorities must clear up why the suspect was still in the country. He stated that his administration would "continue the course" of reducing irregular migration while increasing deportations.
Germany registered 229,751 asylum applications in 2024, a decrease of 30 percent from the previous year. Deportations rose to 18,384 in the first 11 months of the year, up from 16,430 in 2023.
International attention on Germany's far-right has grown, particularly following a high-profile X livestream between Weidel and Elon Musk. Musk openly endorsed AfD, calling its platform "common sense." The tech billionaire's involvement has drawn scrutiny from the European Commission, which is investigating whether X has violated the EU's Digital Services Act.
What People Are Saying
AfD co-leader Alice Weidel wrote on X: "Only the AfD can save Germany."
CDU leader Friedrich Merz said that Germany has had "misguided asylum and immigration policy" for a decade––since Angela Merkel, a chancellor from his own party and a former Merz rival, allowed large numbers of migrants into the country.
He insisted that "compromises are no longer possible on these issues."
SPD Interior Minister Nancy Faeser dismissed Weidel and Merz's rhetoric as opportunism. She questioned whether Merz's vow to bar all irregular entry is possible under EU law: "I would say no," she said. "One shouldn't use such a serious crime for electioneering [...] What is he promising people? If this is not fulfilled, that also destroys trust."
What Happens Next
Germany's election on February 23 will serve as a litmus test for public sentiment on immigration. If elected, Merz has pledged to implement stricter border controls within days of taking office, in part due to pressure from AfD's rising popularity.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press
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