Government & Politics

Fearing Soleimani reprisal, Germany revises terror threat level The country's top police institution fears Israeli and US facilities could be targeted by terrorists following the assassination of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani. Many German states are already on high alert.

(Deutsche Welle) Germany has revised its terror threat levels at home and abroad following the assassination of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, the country’s Interior Ministry said, confirming an earlier report by a German newspaper. Updated guidance was sent to police in Germany’s 16 states by […]

Children & Teens

Mounties worried about anti-immigrant backlash after terrorism arrests: documents Police detained, then released, a man of Syrian descent during Project Salento last January

(CBC) The RCMP was worried about anti-immigrant backlash in the wake of an alleged Kingston terrorist plot and raised concerns about a rise in protests due to “the government’s position on immigration,” new internal documents show. Last January, the national police force charged a […]

Immigration

Germany’s police chief says country struggles to deport foreigners Germany's federal police chief said a lack of pre-deportation facilities is hampering the deportation of rejected asylum seekers and illegal foreigners to third countries.

(Deutsche Welle) Germany is struggling to deport rejected asylum seekers, the country’s top police chief said on Wednesday. Federal police chief Dieter Romann blamed a lack of pre-deportation facilities for deportations not being carried out. Speaking to Germany’s Funke media group, he […]

Law Enforcement

Germany: Nine terror attacks prevented since Berlin Christmas market killings Police say two terror-related incidents were prevented last month alone. Germany has been on heightened alert for fresh atrocities following the death of 'Islamic State' (IS) leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in October.

(Deutsche Welle) Since the 2016 terrorist attack in Berlin’s Breitscheidplatz, German authorities have prevented a further nine attacks of a similar nature, the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) said Sunday. Indeed, last month alone, two acts of terror were thwarted, the BKA told Germany’s Welt […]

Law Enforcement

Germany: Berlin Christmas market evacuated over reported suspicious objects The Christmas market at Breitscheidplatz, where an Islamist terrorist carried out a deadly truck attack in 2016, was evacuated over reports of suspicious packages. But police later said nothing of the sort was found.

(Deutsche Welle) German police said on Saturday that they had asked visitors to Berlin’s Christmas market at Breitscheidplatz to leave the area after receiving information about suspicious objects. A concert event at the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church had also been broken off as […]

Government & Politics

Germany: Fewer Islamists pose terror risk The number of Islamists posing a terrorist risk in Germany has decreased, according to figures from Germany's Interior Ministry. One official put this down to increased vigilance following the 2016 Berlin terror attack.

(Deutsche Welle) The threat from potential Islamist terrorists in Germany has decreased from last year, according to data from the German Interior Ministry. A total of 679 Islamic extremists in Germany were considered to pose a terrorist risk at the beginning of November 2019, compared […]

Law Enforcement

‘Jihad is the way to go’: Connecticut man charged with trying to fight for ISIS 'I’ve been ready for quite a long time now. I just need help to get out of here,' 26-year-old Kevin Imam McCormick allegedly told an FBI informant.

(Daily Beast) After tips from Islamic centers in two different states, authorities arrested a Connecticut man they allege attempted to travel overseas to join the Islamic State. Kevin Imam McCormick, 26, was charged on Oct. 21 with providing material support to a […]

Immigration

Germany: Police presence on migrant deportation flights nearly doubles The number of police officers escorting deported migrants from Germany has risen sharply over the past four years. Security staff are feeling the strain over safety concerns and distant destinations.

(Deutsche Welle) The number of police officers accompanying deportation flights in Germany has nearly doubled in four years, despite overall deportations decreasing. There were nearly 11,000 police officers on deportation flights in 2018, compared with 5,841 in 2014 — a jump of 5,639 in a […]