European
migrant crisis: Germany to tighten asylum rules as Sweden, Finland plan
deportations By Melissa Clarke in London, wires, Posted
January 29, 2016 11:42:23
Related Story: More than 1,200
asylum seekers rescued off Libya in one day: Italian coastguard Map: Germany
More asylum
seekers will be deported or encouraged to leave Europe voluntarily under new
plans being pursued by several countries.
Key
points:
·
Germany tightens asylum seeker rules
·
Finland plans to return 20,000 people
·
Sweden, Norway also planning deportations
·
Hundreds of
Iraqi asylum seekers have left Germany to return home, despairing at the
circumstances they found themselves in, with many more being encouraged to do
the same.
German Vice
Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel announced that Berlin would place Algeria, Morocco
and Tunisia on a list of "safe countries of origin", meaning their
nationals would have little chance of winning asylum.
Some
migrants will also be blocked from bringing their families to join them in
Germany for two years, Mr Gabriel said.
The tougher
rules come after Germany, the European Union's powerhouse economy, took in some
1.1 million migrants in 2015 — many of them refugees fleeing conflict in Syria.
German
Chancellor Angela Merkel came under fierce pressure in recent months to reverse
her open-arms policy to those fleeing war and persecution, including opposition
from within her own conservative camp.
Finland
meanwhile joined Sweden in announcing plans to deport tens of thousands of
asylum seekers.
The two
Nordic countries are both struggling to cope with an influx of refugees and
migrants, receiving among the highest numbers of arrivals per capita in the EU.
The Finnish
Government is planning to send 20,000 migrants back to their countries of
origin. "In principle we speak of about two thirds, meaning approximately
65 per cent of the 32,000 [that arrived in 2015] will get a negative decision
[on their asylum applications]," said Paivi Nerg, the administrative
director of the Interior Ministry.
Norway
to deport migrants to Russia
Norway also
wants 5,500 migrants to return to Russia, where they passed through before
reaching the Nordic nation.
We must act,
otherwise we would basically have free immigration and we can't manage that.-
Swedish Immigration Minister Morgan Johansson
Sweden announced plans on Wednesday to deport up to 80,000 people who arrived in the country last
year. Immigration
Minister Morgan Johansson insisted those asylum seekers whose applications were
rejected had to return home and warned some would be forced to go. "Otherwise
we would basically have free immigration and we can't manage that," he
told news agency TT. The clampdowns came as at least 31 more people died trying
to reach the European Union.
Greek
rescuers found 25 bodies, including those of 10 children, off the Aegean island
of Samos, in the latest tragedy to strike asylum seekers risking the dangerous
Mediterranean crossing hoping to start new lives in Europe. The Italian
navy meanwhile said it had recovered six bodies from a sinking dinghy off Libya and in Bulgaria, the frozen bodies of two men, believed to be asylum seekers,
were found near the border with Serbia. Nearly 4,000
people died trying to reach Europe by sea last year, according to the
International Organisation for Migration.
New
German rules follow demands for action
The new
German rules on family reunification will mean asylum seekers with so-called
"subsidiary protection", a status just below that of refugee, will be
blocked from bringing their families to join them in Germany for two years. The status
is granted to some rejected asylum seekers who still cannot be expelled because
they risk torture or the death penalty in their own country.
The cut-off
on migrants from Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia follows a chorus of demands in
recent weeks to step up expulsions after a rash of sex assaults in Cologne on
New Year's Eve blamed by police on North Africans.
Comments
This
refugee debacle may end up being the “Manson Family European Vacation”.
Norb
Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader
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