Will the Munich attack lead to a crackdown on asylum seekers?

Another day, another apparent attack by an asylum seeker in Germany. In Munich, a 24-year-old Afghan is alleged to have driven a Mini Cooper into a trade union demonstration. At least 28 people have been injured, 11 seriously, according to police.

Bavarian Premier Markus Söder called the crash a “presumed attack”. Police say they don’t know whether there is a link to the Munich Security Conference, which is taking place in the city.

The alleged driver of the car, Farhad N, reportedly came to Germany in 2016. His asylum application was rejected but he was issued a staying order suspending his deportation. Authorities say there are “indications of an extremist background”.

The crash bears a grim resemblance to other deadly attacks which have formed the backdrop to an increasingly tense campaign for federal elections on 23 February. In December, a car ramming on a Magdeburg Christmas market left five people dead; the following month, a stabbing in the Bavarian town of Aschaffenburg killed two people.