The German Bundestag has passed new laws that facilitate the deportation of individuals to so-called safe countries of origin and tighten the conditions for obtaining citizenship, reports Die Welt.
Under the new rules, the German government will be able to designate countries as safe countries of origin by means of a regulatory act without the approval of the Council of Federal States. This will simplify the deportation of individuals from such countries, although the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) retains the option of granting protection in exceptional cases.
In addition, the law abolishes state funding for mandatory lawyers for persons in deportation detention. The German Bar Association and the Federal Bar Association have criticized this decision. “Deprivation of liberty is one of the most serious restrictions on fundamental rights. To date, more than half of all detentions are unlawful. The state must undergo particularly thorough scrutiny,” the association said.
A ten-year ban on obtaining citizenship is also being introduced for individuals who deliberately provide incomplete or false information during the procedure, particularly in connection with the scandal involving fake language proficiency certificates. “Anyone who tries to cheat during the citizenship procedure does not deserve a German passport,” said Alexander Trom (CDU), a representative of the Union faction on internal policy.
