Germans demand migration restrictions after Afghan knifeman killed cop

Germans have demanded that their government restricts migration to prevent further attacks after an Afghan knifeman killed a police officer and stabbed five others at a political rally.

Sulaiman Ataee, 25, launched a frenzied attack in Mannheim city centre on Friday, stabbing well-known Islam critic Michael Stuerzenberger, police officer Rueven L, 29, and several bystanders in a horrific incident which was live streamed on YouTube.

Residents in the city in the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg are outraged over the attack, with many demanding stricter rules on immigration.

Julia, 27, said her opinion on migration had changed following the deadly stabbing rampage last week. 

‘I’m now a lot more aware of the dangers of Islamistic terror after what happened on Friday and it made me think that we might need to draw a line to restrict immigration and decide whether people actually need asylum or not,’ she told MailOnline.

‘It makes me increasingly angry as well that our society is so open to migrants and takes everyone in, but then there’s people who are radical and violent, so much so that a police officer gets killed. It is truly shocking.’

Even the left-leaning Green Party, after years of urging Germany to take in more asylum seekers, is calling for tougher measures against Islamic extremists.

Leader Ricarda Lang urged decisive action on the ARD talk show Miosga and acknowledged her party’s previous reluctance to confront the issue head-on.

She said: ‘Islamism is the enemy of a free society. And it must be treated as such and must be combated, in terms of security policy and society as a whole. 

‘There can be no excuses, no justifications.’

In a notable move, Lang also called for the closure of the Islamic Centre in Hamburg, a place she described as a hub for radical ideas. 

She added: ‘I still can’t understand why it is still open.’

Frustrated pensioner Rolf said that he thinks that Germany and its government will be outraged over the death of Rouven L. for a week, but will return to normal after, with no changes to be made following the brutal attack. 

‘It is intolerable,’ he said.

Just last year the country saw an influx of 680,000 and 710,000 people, which brought the overall population in Germany to a new record of 84.7 million, according to its national office for statistics.

‘We can’t take in the whole world, that just cannot work,’ Rolf told MailOnline.

The 70-year-old said he had noticed German public services taking a hit and attributed this to mass migration.

‘I went to hospital to get help with a hernia, but I only got an appointment three months later. 

‘There’s just too many people that come here, it just cannot work and we need to do something about it,’ he added.

Before his retirement, Rolf was a lorry driver, which earned him a small pension. 

But he said it doesn’t reach very far, since most of it is spent on taxes.

‘And then someone new comes here and they get more money than me after working all my life, and I can’t even say anything about it without being branded right-wing,’ he said.

‘In ten years, Islam will have taken over Germany. I’m old, so I don’t care anymore. If I was younger, maybe, but now I don’t give a s***.’

Homeless woman Petra, 57, told MailOnline: Migrants have a right to be here, but I don’t think it’s right that some, not all, get more than the Germans that are here. 

‘There are Germans on the streets, like us. I think everyone should be treated equally.’

She used to be €800 (£680) in debt, which spiralled into losing her flat and insurance. 

Petra is now homeless, and struggling to even afford medication like paracetamol in the pharmacy.

‘You used to be able to get medications written up [onto your insurance], but now that’s not the case. Everything’s gotten really expensive. 

‘You start asking yourself whether open borders are worth this, Petra added.

‘The country can’t do it anymore. People have health issues and can’t pay to treat them. it’s about time the government does more for its people, for everyone.’

Her boyfriend, 52-year-old Mario, was in an accident that left him unable to work and he also ended up on the streets of Mannheim.

‘It’s not fair,’ Petra said. ‘Everyone should be in it together. Everyone wants something to eat, to drink, a flat with affordable rent. 

‘Everything went downhill since Kohl and Merkel [were in power].’

Mario believes the situation worsened after former German Chancellor Angela Merkel started leading the country in 2005. 

‘Everything changed. Refugees now get more than us.’

Personally impacted by the attack on Friday is 25-year-old Anja, whose father and brother are both part of the local police force.

‘This could have been my brother and I now have to live with the fear that it could happen again,’ she told MailOnline.

She said she knows many migrants who assimilated well, but there’s always some people who haven’t.

‘I think everyone should treat each other with respect and should be open-minded, but migrants should also respect the rights and responsibilities that come with living in a new country, especially in regards to women’s rights,’ Anja added.

Romanian Dana, 45, recently moved to Mannheim for a career change. 

She told MailOnline: ‘Those who immigrate should abide by the rules of that country and don’t expect everyone to give them everything on a silver platter.’

This sentiment was echoed by 65-year-old local Christa, who said: ‘I’m generally open to immigration, but I think too many people come here without having an expectation of the culture here, so the cohabitation is sometimes difficult.

‘I think migrants also need to make an effort to integrate and I don’t see that with many of them. 

‘They come here and think they can live the same as where they came from but that’s just not the case. Everyone needs to adapt.’

She explained there’s a flaw in the system, which the stabbing attack in Mannheim last week highlighted yet again.

Christa said: ‘I don’t think it’s tenable anymore that we can’t deport someone like that to Afghanistan.

‘The population’s right to integrity should be valued more highly than that of the criminal, even if he has found refuge here. 

‘If you are guilty of something and abuse the right to hospitality like that, then I would deal with you more harshly.’

The Mannheim native also criticised that social services have not kept up with the new demands after the migration boom.

Christa told MailOnline: ‘We pay and pay for health care and social stuff but with the other strains, like the economy not running so well anymore, we can’t keep taking on more and more debt.

‘Something needs to give and eventually our whole system will collapse like this. Eventually it will all be gone.’

Married couple Angela and Achim, both 58, said while they were in favour of open borders, they believe more care should be taken to find out whether migrants hold extremist views.

‘One needs to find out whether they have any beliefs or sentiments that don’t belong here. And if you came here illegally and don’t even work, there need to be consequences,’ Angela said.

‘There’s so many migrants who integrated well here, you can’t lump them all together, but not everyone is like that. 

‘At one point we might have to say stop and help integrate the people that are already here before everything again.’

Her husband Achim added: ‘The government needs to do something and set apart some money for this. We already have a cafe specifically to help people integrate into German society, but there’s so many migrants now, it’s not enough for all of them.’

‘I’m generally in favour of immigration, but I think the political will to steer this has gotten lost,’ 53-year-old Nikolaj told MailOnline.

‘There’s no alternative politically right now. There is a political vacuum. It’s a tense situation and you feel like you need to prepare yourself for a more chaotic outcome with the increasing polarisation between the left and the right.’

One such example were two protests on Sunday, where involved left- and right-wing protesters on either side who shouted over each other.

‘If you expressed on Sunday that you had a problem with the young man attacking and killing people, you were automatically branded a Nazi and anti-Islam.’

It was revealed that attacker Ataee had lived in the country illegally for years before being given a residence permit after having children with his German wife. He was reportedly unemployed.

‘Of course that is not right. It’s an error in the system that something like that is possible for him to live here relying on support from the state without working,’ Nikolaj said.

‘The debate is always led by feelings. As soon as you say he is illegal and she should or can be deported, you’re automatically right-wing. 

‘I don’t find that helpful nor honest. It is a lazy excuse.

‘[Sulaimain Ataee] will live off the taxpayer’s dime for the rest of his life. He won’t be deported. After the trial he will probably stay in prison until he’s 60 and we have to pay for it. It’s not right.’

Immigrant Tatjana, 70, who moved to Germany 30 years ago from Asia, said: ‘If someone is here and kills a police officer, they don’t get to stay.

‘Germany has gotten really bad in recent years because we took in too many refugees who turned out to be criminals. 

‘The police need to do more checks. Without a new law, sooner rather than later more will come.’

She believes it depends how people behave, no matter where they are from, to determine whether they should be allowed to stay in Germany.

Mehmet Cantekin, 67, told MailOnline that the country is slowly turning into Turkey, where he lived ten years ago.

‘I wasn’t allowed to eat or drink during Ramadan despite not being Muslim and soon it will be the same here. Europe is making mistakes, one has to draw a line.’

A 75-year-old man, who preferred to not be named, said: ‘Too many people came here and the attack is the result. 

‘We have to do everything we can so this doesn’t continue. We need to close the borders and send them back.’

Mannheim resident Reinold, 58, said he was deeply shocked by last week’s attack in his city: ‘It was tragic what happened. Extremists are among us, and that needs to be different.’

But he doesn’t believe in closing the borders. ‘I think we should generally be an open country, but the criteria for entry should be stricter and should be handled better,’ he said.

Fellow retiree Peter, 70, disagreed. He told MailOnline: ‘Uncontrolled migration is hurting Europe and massively so. 

‘I lived abroad for 20 years and when I came back I was shocked over what happened to Germany.

‘It’s important that there’s more state security, as the attack last week was not an isolated case. 

‘Women and children are at the mercy of the other customs in Afghanistan, Syria, and elsewhere – women don’t count there. They can just be killed and no one cares.’

He highlighted how important it was for people to be integrated in the country they move to so there’s not a split society.

‘There are two things that are needed for integration. The will to be integrated and someone who is willing to integrate these people. 

‘It needs to come from both sides and people need to be open for this. I don’t think this is the case here,’ he said.

‘It’s a silence, an indifference, which is shocking. Germany has been bled dry, we don’t have anything left to give.

‘Look at the health services. It’s really difficult for me to get an appointment at the eye doctor for example, even though my left eye is going blind. Our healthcare system is one of the best, but we can’t just always take from it.

‘In all areas we have deficiencies and crises, because there’s too many people coming here.’

The pensioner added: ‘Look at the Ukrainians. They are parasites here and in the whole EU. We will have to pay for this. 

‘I would blow up the parliament in Berlin before I would send my own sons to fight in Ukraine.’

The attack also increased fears for the upcoming euros in Germany, with Police Commissioner Barbara Slowik saying: ‘In my six years in office, the situation has never been as acute as it is now – and the European Championships haven’t even started yet.’

While Stephan Katte, the police leader in charge of the championships, emphasised extensive security measures are in place for the euros, people are still afraid.

Leo, a 21-year-old student in Mannheim, said: ‘Some people are already worried. My parents told me they want me to stay away from massive crowds. 

‘They said I can still watch the game and have a drink with friends, but it doesn’t need to be with hundreds of other people.’