A 21-year-old asylum seeker is in custody in Germany following a brutal knife attack on a pensioner in Apolda, Thuringia.

The suspect, who was living in a shared asylum accommodation on Lessingstraße, allegedly stabbed a 68-year-old semi-retired district office employee without warning on Monday morning as he walked past the facility.

The victim remains in hospital in critical condition.

Despite numerous media inquiries, the Erfurt public prosecutor’s office did not comment until more than 30 hours after the attack, releasing only a brief statement confirming the arrest and that the suspect is being investigated for attempted manslaughter.

Speaking on Tuesday, the head of the Thuringian State Chancellery, Stefan Gruhner, said the first priority was the victim’s recovery, but stressed that the incident underlined the necessity for a “change of direction in migration policy.”

According to Thüringer Allgemeine, he referred to state government plans for a deportation detention center in Arnstadt and a central immigration office to streamline procedures such as obtaining passport replacement papers. “Consular measures would not have brought the necessary success,” he said, implying that the suspect had deliberately frustrated deportation efforts.

According to earlier warnings from District Administrator Christiane Schmidt-Rose, the suspect had already been reported as a dangerous individual over a year ago. He is also reportedly under investigation for property damage. Nonetheless, he remained in Germany because he lacked valid identification.

The suspect’s identity is not conclusively verified, though reports from both Thüringer Allgemeine and Bild say authorities believe he is Turkish.

Attempts to deport him failed when the Turkish embassy in Berlin declined to issue a passport. Refugee aid workers are said to have advised the man to remain silent during this process, which reportedly hindered verification of his identity.

The proposed deportation center in Arnstadt would not have made a difference in this case, authorities acknowledged, since deportation is impossible without valid travel documents.

On Tuesday, local media reported how neighbors of the accommodation had recalled hearing a police operation but remained largely unaware of what had occurred. Residents inside the accommodation declined to speak.

The public prosecutor’s office insisted its investigation is ongoing but provided no further details.