Syrian man sentenced to life in Germany for IS-linked knife attack

Around 1.48 million people moved to Germany in 2025, down 13% compared to the previous year

The decline was partly driven by fewer arrivals from major asylum-source countries

A 36-year-old Syrian man has been sentenced to life imprisonment over a serious knife attack on football fans

Below, you can review DW's coverage from and about Germany on Monday, June 1, 2026:

A man has been sentenced to life in prison for an Islamist knife attack on revelers in the German city of Bielefeld.

The Higher Regional Court in Düsseldorf convicted the 36-year-old Syrian, Mahmoud M., of four counts of attempted murder and found the severity of guilt particularly grave.

The man attacked a group of football fans outside a bar in May last year. He used a modified walking stick, to which he had attached an 18-centimeter blade (about 7 inches).

Judges said he had pursued jihadist motives and showed no empathy for the victims. The court also ordered preventive detention, citing the ongoing danger he poses.

Prosecutors said the attacker had been active for years with the so-called "Islamic State" (IS) militant group in Syria. They said he had sworn allegiance to IS before coming to Germany in 2023.

The victims told the court they still suffer from the attack, in which they were seriously injured during a night out near a bar.

The defendant confessed to the crime during pre-trial detention and admitted it again in court. He also told investigators he had previously killed two people in Syria, including his half-brother, on behalf of IS.

A psychiatric expert said the man was deeply radicalized, with extremist ideology firmly embedded in his personality, and assessed him as violent and at high risk of reoffending.

AfD to prevent Thuringia's first mosque?

Fewer people moved to Germany in 2025compared to the previous year, with immigration and net migration both declining significantly.

The Federal Statistical Office said around 1.48 million people arrived last year, down 13% from 2024, while departures fell slightly by 2% to 1.25 million.

Net migration dropped to about 235,000 — a 45% decline year on year.

Officials said the decrease was partly due to fewer arrivals from key asylum countries. Net migration from Syria fell by 67% and from Afghanistan by 41%, while arrivals from Ukraine declined by 21%.

Fewer people also moved from other EU countries.

Germans most frequently emigrated to Switzerland, Austria and Spain.

Within Germany, there were about 996,000 moves between federal states. Berlin recorded the biggest net losses, while Brandenburg saw the highest gains.

Poorly treated? Racism in German medicine