BERLIN — The German Cabinet endorsed measures Wednesday that would make it easier to deport many noncitizens convicted of a crime, responding to outrage over the sexual assault of hundreds of women by foreigners on New Year's Eve and growing skepticism about the government's ability to accommodate more than a million asylum seekers.
The legislation would lower the bar for denying criminals the right to stay in Germany, allowing authorities to require anyone to leave the country if convicted of homicide, bodily harm, sexual assault, violent theft or serial shoplifting, even if given only a suspended sentence.
The measures require approval in parliament, but Chancellor Angela Merkel's coalition holds a majority there and they are expected to pass easily.
Advertisement
Merkel's refusal to limit the number of migrants entering the country has damaged her popularity and caused a rift in her governing coalition.
Other countries in Europe have declined to take in a proportionate share of the migrants who continue to arrive by the thousands, and several have instead responded with measures to restrict migrants.
Germany's persistent willingness to accept migrants has meant that ever more are arriving in the country. Public support, however, has shifted from the ecstatic welcome of the summer to increasing unease that only worsened after asylum seekers were linked to sexual assaults on women celebrating the New Year in Cologne.
Heiko Maas, the justice minister, said the measures were in the interest of everyone in the country.
"This also helps to protect the hundreds of thousands of refugees who live respectable lives among us," Maas said. "They do not deserve to be lumped together with criminals."
Under the new law, any criminals with pending applications for asylum in Germany will have their applications withdrawn, and they will be ordered to leave the country. Foreign criminals who have served sentences of at least one year for all crimes will also be deported, in keeping with current laws.
Advertisement
Although the changes will make it easier to revoke the right to stay of first-time criminals, many of whom are given only suspended sentences, critics charge that the law does not go far enough because if a criminal comes from a country that is not considered safe, that person cannot be deported, even if ordered to leave Germany. If an individual's home country carries out the death penalty, it can be more difficult to ultimately deport someone.