Germany's government decided today to introduce tougher security and asylum policies following an attack linked to the Islamic State.

Three people were killed and eight injured in the attack during a festival marking the 650th anniversary of Solingen in North Rhine-Westphalia. The attacker was a Syrian who failed to get asylum in the country.

Isa Al H. (26), who surrendered to the police and admitted the crime, was staying at a refugee center in the German city, which was searched on Saturday.

Der Spiegel newspaper reported that he came to the country at the end of 2022 and asked for asylum. According to EU rules, he should have been deported to Bulgaria, the EU member state where he was registered, but this did not happen as he had been in hiding for several months.

The incident has intensified debates over asylum and deportation rules ahead of national elections next month.

The new package of measures introduces stricter gun rules, including stricter rules on their possession, a complete ban on hunting knives and an absolute ban on knives at public events such as festivals, sporting events and trade fairs.

Berlin will also strengthen laws and procedures for asylum and residence permits, including a lower threshold for serious deportation cases where the deportee has committed a crime with a weapon or dangerous vehicle.

The criteria for refusing asylum or refugee status will be strengthened, including tougher penalties for serious crimes, and this will also apply to young people.

Asylum seekers will not be entitled to social benefits in Germany if they have applied for asylum in other European countries, and refugees who travel to their homeland without a valid reason may lose their protected status, the document said.

This rule will not apply to Ukrainian refugees.

The government will seek reforms to the Common European Asylum System to simplify transfers and deportations, and will encourage the deportation to Afghanistan and Syria of people who have committed serious crimes or are considered terrorist threats.

The package also introduces measures to combat "violent Islamism", including authorizing authorities to use biometric data from available online facial recognition sources to identify suspects.

The government will increase the powers of the BfV domestic intelligence agency when it comes to financial investigations and bans on Islamic organizations will continue to apply, according to a government document.