Germany to expel rejected asylum seekers more swiftly
Berlin, Feb. 22: Germany will speed up expulsions of rejected asylum seekers under measures agreed by Chancellor Angela Merkel’s cabinet on Wednesday, as the controversy raged over sending people back to strife-torn Afghanistan.
Under the new measures, immigration agency officials will be allowed to access applicants’ phones to help determine their identity and country of origin.
Some 50 Afghanis were set to be deported from Munich later in the day, the third such flight since late last year, drawing protests from Amnesty International and left-wing opposition parties.
The EU’s top economy — which has taken in over one million asylum seekers since 2015 — last year repatriated some 80,000 denied refugee or asylum status, a process it wants to speed up.
While Germany granted safe haven to most people from Syria, it has argued that it can safely repatriate people to Afghanistan, where German troops are part of NATO forces seeking to create stability.
Ms Merkel — who is standing for re-election in September amid a voter backlash over the mass migrant influx — two weeks ago won agreement from leaders of Germany’s 16 state governments on the repatriation plan.
Germany also plans to detain people scheduled for deportation if they are considered a threat to public security, or to fit them with electronic ankle bracelets.
Among the other steps planned are national “deportation centres” and financial incentives for those who return voluntarily.
The steps, subject to approval by Parliament, were announced after US moved to speed up mass expulsions of illegal immigrants.