German lawmakers have approved measures to tighten asylum regulations and ease access to the labour market for asylum seekers, incorporating European Union measures into German law.
The ballot on Friday went along party lines, with conservatives and Social Democrats – who are in coalition together – voting for the bill, and the far right, Greens and The Left voting against.
The reforms were already agreed at EU level in 2024 and entail a number of key changes to how asylum seekers are treated.
There is now an obligation to check the identity of arrivals and asylum procedures at the EU’s external borders for asylum seekers who originate from countries with a low recognition rate – in other words, the migrants from those countries only rarely get granted asylum.
If their applications are indeed rejected, asylum seekers will be denied asylum and deported directly at the border.
Procedures for asylum seekers who have already applied for asylum in another member state are to be shortened.
In addition, asylum seekers living in reception centres should be allowed to work in Germany after just three months, according to the new law.
Currently, asylum seekers are effectively banned from working for six months if they have to live in a reception centre, although those who no longer live in a centre are allowed to work after just three months
-dpa
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