Published May 31, 2025last updated May 31, 2025One year after a fatal stabbing in Mannheim, authorities plan to commemorate the slain police officer. Meanwhile, a record number of foreigners were naturalized in Germany last year. Follow DW for more.
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The 29-year-old police officer Rouven Laur was fatally stabbed during an anti-Islam rally in Mannheim on May 31 last year [FILE: June 14, 2024]Image: Max Schwarz/REUTERSSkip next section What you need to knowWhat you need to knowGerman authorities will unveil a memorial plaque commemorating a police officer who died due to a knife attack in the city of Mannheim last year.
In other news, the number of naturalizations in Germany hit a record level in 2024 after a citizenship reform went into effect.
In regards to irregular migration, Germany’s interior minister hopes for an EU-wide consensus on sending failed asylum seekers to third countries.
Here’s a roundup of the latest news stories from Germany on May 31, 2025:
Skip next section German–Greek relations face crisis over refugee policyMay 31, 2025
German–Greek relations face crisis over refugee policyGreek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis (L) and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (R) at a joint press conference in Berlin [FILE: May 13, 2025]Image: Lisi Niesner/REUTERSIn theory, both German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis are determined to stop irregular migration to Europe.
The two conservative governments have decided that from now on, there will be strict controls on who can and cannot come to Europe.
But in practice, Berlin and Athens have very different interests.
Read more on why Germany wants to send asylum seekers back to Greece and why the Mediterranean country is opposed to the idea.
https://p.dw.com/p/4vDeo
Skip next section Germany’s interior minister hopes for EU-wide consensus on sending failed asylum seekers to third countriesMay 31, 2025
Germany’s interior minister hopes for EU-wide consensus on sending failed asylum seekers to third countriesGermany’s Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt is hoping for an EU-wide agreement on sending failed asylum seekers who cannot return home to safe countries near their homelands.
In an interview with the Welt am Sonntag newspaper published on Saturday, Dobrindt said the approach could work only if there was a consensus across the bloc.
“No individual EU member state can create this model on its own,” he told the newspaper.
“We need third countries that are prepared to take migrants who are objectively unable to return to their home countries,” Dobrindt added.
Earlier this month, the European Commission proposed a concept that would allow member states to reject asylum applications from migrants who could have found protection in a “safe” third country.
https://p.dw.com/p/4vDdL
Skip next section Germany sees record number of naturalizationsMay 31, 2025
Germany sees record number of naturalizationsA record number of foreigners were granted German citizenship in 2024, the Welt am Sonntag newspaper reported on Saturday.
Last year, a total of 249,901 people were naturalized in 13 federal states — the highest level since the beginning of standardized data collection in 2000. The states of Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Schleswig-Holstein did not share overall numbers with the newspaper.
On June 27, 2024, the government’s new citizenship reform went into effect, allowing people to apply to become German after lawfully living in the country for five years, rather than the previous eight. The reform also removes restrictions on dual citizenship.
Back in 2023, the nationwide figure for all 16 states was 200,095 — a record at the time.
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Skip next section Mannheim to mark one year since knife attackMay 31, 2025
Mannheim to mark one year since knife attackThe Mannheim knife attack killed one police officer and injured five others [FILE: June 7, 2024]Image: Thomas Lohnes/Getty ImagesThe western German city of Mannheim plans to remember the 29-year-old police officer Rouven Laur on Saturday in the market square where he was stabbed one year ago.
German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt, Baden-Württemberg Interior Minister Thomas Strobl, and Mannheim Mayor Christian Specht are expected to unveil a memorial plaque providing information about the May 31, 2024, incident.
A floor slab commemorating the Laur will also be presented.
The fatal stabbing last year also wounded five people who participated in a rally organized by the anti-Islam Citizens’ Movement Pax Europa (BPE).
The now 26-year-old suspected Islamist perpetrator, identified as Sulaiman A, has been charged with murder and attempted murder.
His trial has been taking place at the Stuttgart Higher Regional Court since February.
https://p.dw.com/p/4vDcv
Skip next section Welcome to our coverageMay 31, 2025
Welcome to our coverageGuten Tag from the team in DW’s Bonn newsroom, where we bring you reports covering the main headlines in Germany.
Here, you can read headlines, analyses, multimedia content, and DW on-the-ground reporting on everything to do with Europe’s largest economy.
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