In the wake of a suspected Islamist attack in Solingen that left three dead, North Rhine-Westphalia's Minister-President Hendrik Wüst has expressed support for his embattled Minister of Refugees, Josefine Paul.

Paul, under pressure for her handling of failed deportations, has been criticized by the opposition for not addressing the issue sooner.

Wüst praised Paul for her transparency and initial steps to address the shortcomings.

He emphasized that the responsibility for the attack should not fall on overburdened local authorities, but rather on broader national and European migration policies.

The attack, carried out by a 26-year-old Syrian, has sparked a debate on Germany's asylum practices, with calls for more effective solutions at the national and EU levels.

Wüst welcomed the federal government's new security package aimed at tightening migration and weapons laws as a step in the right direction.