After a knife attack in a regional train with two dead teenagers († 16 and † 19)
Switzerland gives Germany deportation tutoring
In Germany, asylum seekers with violent crimes regularly make the headlines. Deportations are mostly unsuccessful – unlike in Switzerland, where the repatriation rate is above average at 54 percent. The two countries are now joining forces.
Published: 4 minutes ago
1/11
Switzerland – here at Zurich Airport – takes more rigorous action than other countries when it comes to deportations.
Guido Fieldsforeign editor
After the knife attack by a Palestinian (33) in a regional train, the discussion about the repatriation of criminal asylum seekers flared up in Germany. The perpetrator, who had several previous convictions and had just been released from prison, killed a 19-year-old and a teenager (16) on Wednesday and injured seven other passengers.
It’s not the only recent crime by an asylum seeker. On December 5, 2022, an Eritrean (27) killed a 14-year-old with a knife on the way to school in the Baden-Württemberg community of Illerkirchberg and injured a 13-year-old girl.
Also in Illerkirchberg, five young men raped a drug-filled teenager (14) in 2019. After an Afghan (30) has since been released from prison, he should have been deported to his homeland. The repatriation failed because of the tense security situation under the Taliban.
The independent Mayor of Illerkirchberg, Markus Häussler (37), told “Focus”: “We were forced to house the convicted criminal again. The real solution would be deportation. Second best to put him somewhere else.”
Switzerland far ahead
Deportation? What works reasonably well in Switzerland causes a lot of trouble for the Germans. According to “NZZ”, the repatriation rate in Switzerland was 54 percent last year.
In Germany, this rate is “significantly lower,” admitted SPD Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (52) to Federal Councilor Karin Keller-Sutter (59) at a meeting in December. A nationwide number is not available because enforcement is a matter for the federal states. In the EU, the repatriation rate is 21 percent.
In Germany, repatriations usually fail because travel documents are missing and identities remain unclear. There are states that provide their presumed citizens with replacement passport papers. However, these are only valid for a specific day and flight.
Germany has signed agreements with states such as Algeria, Morocco and Georgia. But Berlin failed to negotiate with other countries. Interior Minister Faeser said they now want to make up for that.
Switzerland with continuity
A central point for the above-average success rate in Switzerland is the intensive cooperation with the countries of origin, says the State Secretariat for Migration to the “NZZ”. And the Migration Office of the Canton of Zurich says that discretion and continuity are crucial.
Continuity also means that Switzerland has been pursuing a consistent asylum policy for years. People with no chance of asylum should know quickly where they stand. Applications have fallen sharply since some nationals are being treated within 48 hours.
In December 2022, Bern and Berlin agreed in an action plan to fight irregular migration together and to carry out returns consistently. Federal Councilor Keller-Sutter also emphasized when signing: “It is important that every country does its homework.”