New German government resolution: Stricter measures against undecided refugees
Angela Merkel's cabinet has approved the interior minister's controversial plan to speed up the return of rejected asylum seekers. The resolution also includes measures to better absorb and integrate refugees into German society.
The German coalition government approved the Interior Minister Horst Seehofer's plan, known as the "Law on the Systematic Return of Refugees," at a meeting on Wednesday, April 17.
The law is reportedly intended to speed up the deportation of rejected asylum seekers. Seehofer's plans to crack down on this group of asylum seekers and his call to facilitate the deportation of criminal refugees to their home countries have also been highly controversial within Angela Merkel's coalition government.
Asylum seekers whose asylum applications are rejected in Germany and who are to be deported are normally held in special accommodation until their deportation. Given that these accommodation facilities are full, according to the Interior Minister's plan, these people could also be transferred to regular detention centers.
This has been met with strong criticism and opposition from refugee rights groups and the two opposition parties, the Greens and the Left. Refugees who do not have valid documents or who are not subject to repatriation remain in Germany for long periods of time and are so-called "tolerated".
According to AFP, the draft approved by the cabinet at its meeting on Wednesday provides a new definition for asylum seekers who do not have valid identification documents or who hide their true identity, calling them "tolerated persons with unverified identity."
Pressure on asylum seekers without identification documents
The Interior Ministry's plan stipulates that asylum seekers who fail to take all "expected steps" to obtain a valid passport and identification documents will be subject to a work ban, mandatory residence in a specific location, and fines.
Asylum seekers whose stay in Germany is "tolerated" are often those whose asylum applications have been rejected by the court, but who have not been ordered to be deported due to incomplete documents and unclear citizenship, or for humanitarian reasons such as their countries of origin being deemed unsafe.
The new German government decree also includes positive points for asylum seekers, including an increase in cash assistance for single people from 135 to 150 euros per month. The law also includes measures aimed at facilitating the absorption and integration of refugees into German society.
Accordingly, asylum seekers who have been granted a residence permit in Germany can participate in a training course to help them integrate into German society after nine months of residence in the country. Refugees who have registered as job seekers with the Federal Employment Agency can also participate in a language course tailored to their desired profession.
Such classes and courses were previously only offered to those with "prospects" and a high chance of "enduring" a long stay in Germany. This previously included citizens of countries such as Syria, Eritrea, Somalia, Iran and Iraq, according to AFP.
So far, only a small group of refugees who are "tolerated" in Germany have had the opportunity to take advantage of language courses related to a specific profession.
Source: Dw
