Germany will exclude asylum seekers registered in another EU country from aid

The lower house of the German parliament approved this Friday a package of measures that restrict, among others, the aids to asylum seekers who have already submitted an application in another European country. The package was promoted by the social democratic government of Olaf Scholz in reaction to the jihadist attack that this summer left four dead in the town of Solingen.

The attack was carried out by a Syrian whose request for asylum in Germany had been rejected and who should have been returned to Bulgariathe country through which it had entered the European Union. However, he was not deported and continued to receive aid.

However, part of the government package was blocked by the upper house (Bundesrat), where the governments of the federal states are represented. The measures that restrict aid to asylum seekers already registered in other countries to a minimum will therefore come into force, but not others that gave more powers to security agencies.

The Christian Democratic Union (CDU)the main opposition party in Germany, and its sister party the Christian Social Union (CSU) of Bavaria justified their rejection of part of the package by arguing that many restrictions are imposed on security agencies to make use of their new powers, reports Efe.

The Minister of the Interior, the social democrat Nancy Faesercriticized the attitude of the CDU/CSU that led to part of the package being blocked in the Bundesrat. “The Union denies our security agencies powers that are indispensable in view of the current threats,” Faeser said in a statement.

Among the powers that the security agencies should receive was the possibility of search for faces and voices onlinet for a maximum of three days using biometric data and an automatic application but only with authorization before a court of the president of the Federal Criminal Office (BKA) or his representative.

Part of the package that was approved was a tightening ofe the law on carrying weapons that prohibitsExcept for professional needs, carry knives in certain circumstances.