After France, Germany with new measures to expel migrants

According to Germany's Minister of Internal Affairs Horst Seehofer (CSU), asylum seekers must be deported immediately, if they violate the law in Germany.

Seehofer will present the German government with new proposals for specific legal changes. His demands came after a last week's attack on the Baharez Amberg city.

On December 29th, four alcoholic asylum seekers from Syria, Afghanistan, Iran, aged 17-19, attacked passersby on the street by shooting at them. Twelve people got hurt. Currently in Germany, there is no record of how many are expelled after committing a criminal offence, the number of deportations has dropped overall last year.

In the first half of 2018, 12,300 people were expelled, compared to 2017, a 2% drop. German law as a rule also prohibits deportations if the person who is to be expelled is threatened by torture or death in the country of origin, or whether his life is threatened because of religion, race, nationality, political obedience or social affiliation.

Foreigners who want to live in Germany need a residence permit, refugees and asylum seekers receive only a temporary residence permit, as long as their demand is addressed. If asylum demand is rejected, they have no longer the right to stay and abandon Germany within a certain deadline (no less than 6 months).

If this deadline expires, then they are forced out of Germany to the country of origin. A person who, during treatment of asylum demand, is sentenced to prison for at least three years, should be theoretically deported. For other persons, who are convicted of minor offences, or if they are seen as a threat to public order, local authorities decide.

Two authorities have the competence to grant the expulsion decision from Germany, the office of foreigners, which is part of federal countries governments and the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees, BAMF. /TCh