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Wednesday April 9, 2025
Ahmed Mohamed Odowaa, the Somali asylum seeker who helped subdue the knife attacker during the deadly January rampage in Aschaffenburg, stands near a memorial in Schöntal Park honoring the victims. CREDIT change.org | FMG
LONDON, UK (HOL) — A Somali asylum seeker who helped stop a deadly knife attack in the German city of Aschaffenburg will not be deported, Bavarian authorities announced Monday, reversing earlier reports that he would be removed from the country.
Ahmed Odowaa, 30, intervened during a stabbing attack on January 22 that killed a 2-year-old boy and a 41-year-old man, and injured three others. He chased the suspect, alerted police to his location, and is now a key witness in the criminal case. Bavarian officials say his courage and cooperation will be formally recognized and that he will be allowed to remain in Germany under a temporary permit known as a Duldung.
Authorities also said Odowaa will be granted a work permit to support his integration and future residency prospects. Bavaria’s interior minister, Joachim Herrmann, called Odowaa’s actions “outstanding” and deserving of “recognition and our utmost respect.”
The January 22 stabbing shocked the country and drew national attention. According to investigators, a 28-year-old Afghan man attacked a group of kindergarten children and adults in Schöntal Park, located in central Aschaffenburg. A Moroccan toddler and a German bystander were killed. Three others — a Syrian child, a 72-year-old man, and a kindergarten teacher — were seriously injured.
Odowaa and several passers-by pursued the suspect, who was arrested by police 12 minutes later. Local and national leaders, including Bavarian Premier Markus Söder, have widely praised his intervention, who plans to award him a civil courage medal in May.
Despite the accolades, Odowaa received a notice from the immigration office stating he must leave Germany by July 8. The document cited his prior refugee status in Italy, where he was granted asylum before travelling to Germany to seek protection again. Under the EU’s Dublin Regulation, asylum applications must be processed in the first EU country of entry, making his application in Germany ineligible.
On Monday, the Bavarian Ministry of the Interior stated that reports of an imminent deportation were based on a “misunderstanding.” Officials explained that Duldung orders are issued for limited periods and are routinely extended for individuals like Odowaa, especially when legal or humanitarian considerations apply.
He will now receive a temporary right to stay, which includes the opportunity to work. A formal decision on his long-term status may follow after criminal proceedings conclude.
The reversal comes after more than 60,000 people signed a petition urging authorities to halt his deportation. Supporters cited his bravery and role in saving lives during the attack.
The suspect, identified as Enamullah O., is a 28-year-old Afghan national who arrived in Germany in late 2022 via Bulgaria. He had applied for asylum in 2023 but told authorities in December that he intended to return to Afghanistan voluntarily. His asylum case was closed, and he was ordered to leave Germany.
Officials say the suspect had been involved in prior violent incidents and was undergoing psychiatric treatment. A search of his residence revealed psychiatric medication but no signs of extremist ideology. Investigators believe the attack was driven by mental illness, not political or religious motives.
The incident reignited a national debate over immigration and deportation policies just weeks before Germany’s national election. Chancellor Olaf Scholz condemned the attack as an “act of terror” and called for reforms to ensure faster deportation of rejected asylum seekers with criminal records.
Terrorism expert Peter Neumann of King’s College London noted that many young asylum seekers face long periods in overcrowded shelters without access to work or social opportunities, contributing to mental illness, isolation, and, in some cases, violence.
Odowaa’s case mirrors that of Chia Rabiei, an Iranian Kurd who intervened during a 2021 knife attack in Würzburg. He, too, faced deportation but was later granted a residence permit by a court that cited his public visibility and risk of persecution if returned to Iran.
Both men’s stories have added weight to calls for migration policies that consider individual contributions, humanitarian factors, and legal status.