Overburdened Migration Office Blamed for Failed Deportation of Aschaffenburg Attacker

Delays at Germany's Federal Office for Migration and Refugees in 2023 allowed the attacker to remain in the country, leading to a tragic knife attack last week.

The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) delayed notifying local authorities about the rejection of Enamullah O.'s asylum application, missing the deportation deadline to Bulgaria.
The delay was attributed to high workloads at BAMF in 2023, during a period of increased asylum applications, according to an internal government report.
The attacker, deemed mentally ill, fatally stabbed a two-year-old boy and a 41-year-old man in Aschaffenburg, while injuring three others in a park last week.
The German government has since bolstered BAMF's staffing, adding 1,140 personnel in 2024, and is implementing a new European asylum system to improve deportation processes.
The asylum application was rejected on June 19, 2023, but a critical notification to local authorities was sent over a month later, making deportation legally unfeasible.