German government restricts migrant family reunification, path to citizenship – Germany’s government approved measures to restrict family reunification for migrants and delay citizenship access on Wednesday, forging ahead with a major shift in migration policy under conservative Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
The cabinet agreed to a two-year suspension of the right for migrants who do not qualify for full refugee status, so called “subsidiary protection” holders, to bring their children and spouses to Germany.
That means weapons and knives are forbidden (here).
Why didn’t anybody think of this before? Problem solved. At least “temporarily.”
Federal police declare temporary knife ban at major Berlin train stations – A temporary knife ban at major Berlin stations promises safety but raises questions about policing and public space.
Starting next week, Berlin’s central train stations will become no-knife zones, at least for part of the day. In an effort to curb rising violence, federal police are instituting a month-long weapons ban across twelve of the city’s busiest stations.
It Is Time for Germans To Get Seriously Angry – Early Sunday morning (last week), Germany was hit by Islamist terror—again. Five people were severely injured, two critically, in a knife attack. The perpetrator, identified as a 35-year-old Syrian refugee, was finally tracked down and arrested by police on Tuesday, 42 hours later. He reportedly entered Germany illegally two years ago. Fellow residents at his asylum shelter told reporters he maintained close connections to Islamist circles—a claim supported by evidence found in his room during the police investigation.
Germany, that much is clear, is in deep trouble. And its establishment—though the police have done a commendable job hunting down the perpetrator—remains unable to get a grip on the persistent terrorist threat.
Germany plans to suspend family reunification – The new German government has agreed to stop family members of refugees with subsidiary protection status from moving to Germany. The controversial move will particularly affect Syrian families.
The main thing is that everybody has a jolly good carnival celebration time!
German police on alert after Islamic State calls for carnival attacks – Police are on high alert ahead of Germany’s traditional carnival celebrations this week after social media connected to the Islamic State militant group called for attacks targeting revellers in Cologne and Nuremberg, said police spokespeople.
Bild newspaper reported that a German-language propaganda site run by IS had published a computer-created collage image calling on viewers to “choose your next attack target”, and listed the dates and locations of upcoming carnival events.
Syrian suspect in Berlin Holocaust Memorial stabbing wanted to kill Jews, investigators say – The suspect in a stabbing attack at Berlin’s Holocaust Memorial that seriously injured a Spanish tourist is a Syrian refugee who apparently wanted to kill Jews, investigators said Saturday.
The 19-year-old suspect was arrested on Friday evening, nearly three hours after the attack, when he approached officers with blood on his hands and clothes…
The suspect arrived in Germany in 2023 as an unaccompanied minor and successfully applied for asylum, investigators said. He lives in Leipzig.
Germany’s established “democratic” political parties are turning Germany “far-right” by not addressing the migrant madness.
And not addressing the Green energy madness. And not addressing the taxation madness. And not addressing the bureaucracy madness. And that’s not all of the madness that’s not being addressed, either. All this madness, you see, is what’s making everybody so mad.
In other words: Fix it already. Or go “far-right.”
Is Germany turning to the far-right? Inside the country’s battle for power – Germany heads to the polls this week facing a challenge for power from the far-right. In the run-up to the historic vote, Siobhan Robbins heads to the country’s right-wing heartland.
Not about having out of control migration, the highest energy prices in the world, a stifling bureaucracy, no army, a crumbling infrastruture, a lack of skilled workers…
Slamming Trump is something we can all feel good about.
German Election Spotlight Turns to Trump – The American president’s foreign policy, and a divisive speech by his vice president, drew attention away from an attack by a refugee that some expected would fan political tensions over migration.
That means attack. As in terrorist attack. As in the next one.
Munich: Söder speaks of attack – driver 24-year-old Afghan – A car has driven into a crowd of strikers in Munich. At least 28 people were injured, including children. Bavaria’s Minister President speaks of a “suspected attack”. The driver of the car was an Afghan asylum seeker.
Merz doubles down on gambit with German far right in combative speech – Prospective chancellor takes startlingly aggressive line against those protesting against gamble with AfD.
The German conservative opposition leader, Friedrich Merz, whose party is widely tipped to win this month’s general election, defended his hardline migration proposals after a wave of protests accused him of breaching the time-honoured “firewall” between the far right and centrists.
In an uncompromising speech to a party congress of his Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in Berlin, Merz said he was confident they would win the 23 February vote “with a very good result”, well ahead of the anti-immigration, anti-Islam Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), which has been consistently placing second in the polls.
Five days after passing a non-binding resolution on border policy with the votes of the far right – marking a historic breach of a taboo – Merz renewed a promise to bar any formal cooperation with the AfD in future.
“We will not work with the Alternative für Deutschland – not before [the election], not after – never,” he said to a lengthy standing ovation from delegates.
Observing Hermann 