Germany tightens border in response to stabbing

The new measures will expand controls already in place on the country’s eastern and southern borders with Austria, Czechia, Poland, and Switzerland to cover all border points. These controls include spot checks on roads and on trains.

The measures will initially run for a period of six months, and are intended to reduce irregular migration, and reduce cross-border crime and Islamic extremism.

The expansion comes in response to a fatal stabbing in August in the town of Solingen, North Rhine-Westphalia which left three people dead. The suspect is a Syrian national who was facing deportation following a failed bid for asylum, and the attack has been claimed by Islamic State.

The government has also announced other changes targeting migration since the attack – this includes altering the rules so asylum seekers facing deportation will lose benefits. Additionally, the deportation of convicted Afghan criminals has resumed – having been suspended following the Taliban’s return to power in 2021.

The Sri Lankan government recently announced a visa-free entry pilot programme for citizens of 35 countries.