Foto: KI-generiertes Bild: Grok (xAI
Police in Hamburg arrested 33-year-old Syrian migrant Firas A. on Thursday, nearly two weeks after he allegedly stabbed and severely wounded two people in the district of Billstedt.
The incident occurred on April 12 when the suspect, reportedly known for hundreds of previous offenses, coughed repeatedly at passengers on a public bus, prompting the driver to ask him to leave. After refusing, the Syrian national was forcibly removed by passengers, leading to a violent altercation.
Two individuals — a man and a wheelchair-bound passenger — attempted to mediate, at which point Firas A. is accused of producing a knife and stabbing both victims before fleeing.
Authorities launched an immediate public manhunt, initially describing the man as being of “southern appearance” and speaking German with an accent. The investigation led to his eventual arrest.
🇩🇪‼️ A manhunt is underway in Hamburg after a knife attack on a wheelchair user and a 60-year-old man aboard a public bus in Hamburg on Saturday evening.
— Remix News & Views (@RMXnews) April 14, 2025
The suspect, described by police as being of "southern appearance" and speaking German with an accent, was asked to leave the… pic.twitter.com/vyl3KUQebp
This latest incident follows multiple violent and criminal acts attributed to the suspect, including in 2023 when he was convicted of smashing the windows of 245 parked vehicles after police confiscated his car keys for driving without a license.
Later that year, he attacked and injured an 84-year-old woman at an ATM. Additionally, last fall, he threatened his former employer’s life and was found carrying a banned butterfly knife; however, he was released shortly after a brief pre-trial detention.
Firas A. entered Germany during the migrant influx of 2015 under Chancellor Angela Merkel’s open-door policy and was granted permanent residence in 2021, receiving subsidiary protection status.
Remix News has written extensively about the serial offender’s incredible rap sheet.
He has already been convicted eight times, including the last instance on July 24, 2024. He has compiled a total of €10,500 in fines.
Despite his lengthy criminal record, Hamburg authorities maintain that deportation is currently impossible due to concerns over his safety in Syria, with expulsion only permissible under conditions posing compelling threats to national security.
The German port city is presided over by a left-wing coalition of the Social Democrats (SPD) and the Greens. It is a migrant hub with a foreign population of well above the national average.
The Alternative for Germany (AfD) state parliamentary group has repeatedly called for the revocation of Firas A.’s protection status.
“We need tough consequences for repeat offenders. Repeat offenders must be stripped of their protection status. Anyone who abuses our hospitality in this way must be consistently deported,” said Hamburg’s AfD parliamentary group leader Dirk Nockemann previously.