North Rhine-Westphalia’s (NRW) recent proposal to record the secondary passports of crime suspects has drawn sharp criticism from the Left party (Die Linke). Clara Bünger, the party’s spokesperson for internal affairs in the Bundestag, argued the measure would foster division rather than enhance security.
Speaking to the “Rheinische Post” Bünger stated that what appears to be objective data collection is, in reality, a dangerous categorization of people into “genuine” and “other” Germans. She contends the move implies a link between nationality and criminal activity, which she asserts is demonstrably false. Bünger emphasized that criminality is linked to socio-economic factors and experiences of marginalization, not passport ownership.
The politician further suggested that a genuine focus on public safety would necessitate addressing root causes such as poverty, social exclusion and violence.
Under the proposed changes to NRW’s crime statistics, multiple nationalities held by both suspects and victims will be recorded, marking a departure from standard nationwide practices. The state is proceeding on a unique path with this initiative.
