A Syrian asylum seeker given a job at a hair salon has been arrested after he attacked his 64-year-old female boss with a knife.

Mohammad Hussain Rashwani, 39, was allowed to work at the Herzberg hair salon in September of last year. Local paper Lausitzer Rundschau described him as a “model” for integration of asylum seekers though this week he viciously attacked the owner of the salon, 64-year-old Ilona F. in the neck with a knife Die Welt reports.

The brutal attack occurred on Wednesday evening at around 5:30 pm. So far police have had difficulty trying to ascertain a motive for the attack which left the 64-year-old hospitalised and is expected to make a full recovery.

A 22-year-old Syrian is said to have intervened in the attack likely saving the life of the woman.

Chief Prosecutor Gernot Bantleon said, “According to initial findings, we assume that the motive could be related to the employment relationship,” but gave no further details. “We have applied for a warrant for attempted murder,” he added.

Last year the Lausitzer Rundschau published an article celebrating the 39-year-old as a “model of integration” saying that he had fled Damascus where he had formerly worked as a hairdresser.

The victim of the attack also had high praise for Mohammad last year saying, “Mohammad is a proud man, but very careful and prudent, and he even helps with cleaning up.”

It was also noted at the time that Mohammad had great difficulty learning German and had to use a mobile app on his phone to translate so he could communicate with other staff and customers.

The attack highlights two important topics in Germany in regard to asylum seekers, that of labour integration and of the rising tide of migrant crime.

Germany has had enormous difficulty in integrating the over one million asylum seekers who have come in the last several years into the labour market. Some experts and government officials are pessimistic about the long-term effects of mass migration with some saying up to 74 percent of migrants are only fit for menial labour.

Migrant crime is also on the rise in Germany across the country. The German Interior Ministry said that migrant crime had increased by 50 percent in 2016 and make up a disproportionate number of criminal suspects.

In Munich, it is estimated that close to one-half of all criminal suspects are “non-Germans” with asylum seekers accounting for one-in-five suspects.