The German government will be combating illegal immigration by speeding up repatriations and deportations of people who have no right to remain in the country. German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser introduced a draft law to this effect, which has been adopted by cabinet, according to a press release. The German government said it followed detailed discussions with the federal states and representatives from municipal organizations. To fight mass immigration, it said it will be bringing forward a repatriation package to make procedures more effective and deportation rules more consistent. One of the measures it said it would be taking is custody pending removal. In line with constitutional and European law, the maximum period is to be extended from 10 to 28 days, giving authorities more time to prepare deportations. It will be repatriating criminals. Where people have been sentenced to more than one year in prison, the interest in removal becomes strong, which makes deporting them easier. It added the deportation of traffickers is to be expedited with particular urgency. Under these plans, it said it will make it easier to deport members of criminal organizations. In future, it will be possible to deport these people regardless of whether they have been convicted of a particular offence if there is adequate evidence. The draft law would allow searches of homes for data storage devices and documents, particularly in cases where there is a need to identify a person. It would enable authorities to enter other rooms in shared accommodations. In cases involving deportation, this would ensure authorities would be able to find the person concerned in shared accommodations. Violations of entry and residence permits will be considered as sufficient grounds for deportation.Deportation will no longer be announced for prison inmates who are subject to orders to leave Germany. In the same way, the draft law scraps the duty to give one month’s notice of deportation. It would make it possible to enforce bans on entry and residence, orders to live at a particular address and movement restrictions with immediate effect so as to increase their effectiveness.Certain proposals would reduce the burden on agencies dealing with foreign nationals. In specific terms, this means extending the validity of residency permits in asylum cases from three months to six. The German government said federal states and municipal associations were given the chance to respond to the law and discussions remain ongoing. It acknowledged it will be introduced in the Bundestag and enter into force by the end of this year.German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on October 20 Germany can combat pro-Hamas protests and antisemitism by deporting illegal immigrants on a large scale. READ MORE: German chancellor wants migrants deported, tighter immigrationScholz condemned violent antisemitic protests in Berlin and said Germany stood by its Jewish citizens against those who “unashamedly celebrate the death of those killed in the Hamas terror attack.” He promised it "will now be differentiating even more precisely."
