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Vivienne Vetter is angry about the uncontrolled influx of refugees into the German city of Solingen where she lives, and blames it for the stabbing murder of a Syrian man.
But Kadir Ayten, a Turkish man and Solingen local, was more concerned that Friday’s attack, which took place during the holiday season, would exacerbate social divisions and cause Germans to become more wary of foreigners.
The mixed reactions underscored how the attack, which killed three people and injured eight, has intensified a fierce debate over immigration policy and could further embolden a resurgent far right.
Vetter, who is originally from Poland but has lived in Germany for 20 years, expressed anger at recent immigrants arriving in Solingen who she said “don’t learn German”.
“They took away nurseries, daycares, money and apartments,” the 26-year-old, who works in elderly care, told AFP, adding that she herself was struggling to find an affordable apartment.
“If they could integrate into society, I would have no problem with it,” she added, noting that she lives just a few minutes’ walk from the attack site.
She was one of many residents who gathered in Solingen on Monday to see Chancellor Olaf Scholz visit the site of the attack, with many expressing dissatisfaction with the government’s asylum policy.
Despite Scholz’s promise to tighten immigration rules, Solingen Mayor Tim Kutzbach called for calm: “This is not only about Solingen, it’s about our country.”
The attacker was reportedly a 26-year-old Syrian who arrived in Germany about two years ago and the refugee center is just 300 meters (980 feet) from where the violence took place.
The building, a former tax office building, has been used to house migrants since December 2022 as Germany struggled to find housing for the large number of refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine.
– ‘Turning point’ –
For Solingen resident Wolfgang Matthes, the attack – for which Islamic State has claimed responsibility – will mark “a turning point in controlling who enters our country.”
“The government must strengthen its asylum policy,” the 61-year-old added.
This is not the first time tensions have arisen between different communities in Solingen, a multiethnic city of about 160,000 people.
In 1993, far-right extremists set fire to the house of a large Turkish family, killing three girls and two women.
But as elsewhere in Europe, recent tensions have centred on rising immigration numbers.
The debate flared up again last year when the number of initial asylum applications in Germany rose by more than 50 percent amid a surge in illegal immigration.
However, while some were quick to blame Friday’s tragedy on the growing number of migrants, others saw it as an isolated incident and were more concerned that it could exacerbate already high tensions in multicultural regions such as Solingen.
Tensions were on display over the weekend after the attack, with rival demonstrations held by left-wing groups and the youth wing of the far-right Alternative for Germany party.
Ayten, a Turkish man who is a taxi driver and Muslim who has lived in Germany for about 20 years, described the attack as a “huge shame”.
“Things like this will divide society. People will be more afraid of foreigners,” the 46-year-old said.
He added that the attack had “nothing to do with Islam”.
Resul Salihu, an 18-year-old Serbian who has lived in Solingen all his life, said it was wrong to blame the tragedy on immigrants and to “generalize” about all those who come to Germany.
He also expressed concern that people might be encouraged to vote for the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany party, which is expected to make headway in key regional elections in eastern Germany on Sunday.
“People are driven by fear, and because of that fear they may move to parties that have more extreme policies,” he said.
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