Germany could deport antisemitic migrants under new laws

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Germany's ruling parties are beefing up legislation to make it easier to deport antisemitic migrants.

The draft bill being proposed by Chancellor Angela Merkel's CDU-CSU conservative alliance calls for the "absolute acceptance of Jewish life" to be considered a "benchmark" for migrants integrating into society.

It also stipulates that "those who refuse Jewish life in Germany or question the right of existence of Israel cannot have a place in our country", according to Die Welt.

The German newspaper also reported that the new rules will be proposed before Holocaust memorial day on 27 January.

Stephan Harbarth, deputy chairman of the CDU-CSU parliamentary group,said: "We must resolutely oppose the antisemitic of migrants with an Arab background and from African countries."

In December, a study commissioned by the American Jewish Committee's Ramer Institute for German-Jewish Relations in Berlin found that antisemitic among Muslim refugees was "rampant" and required urgent attention.

The study, based on interviews with 68 refugees, also found that refugees from persecuted minority communities were more likely to take a stand against antisemitism for Israel, according to The Times of Israel.

While deportation orders will still have to comply with policy set by the German government in 2016, migrants found guilty of antisemitic hate speech would be removed from the country under the new law.

The new bill comes after German officials reacted with outrage in December when protesters burned Israeli flags to protest the US's decision to recognise Jerusalem as the official capital of Israel.

It was even suggested by interior minister Thomas de Maiziere that Germany should appoint an antisemitism commissioner to counter growing hate speech against Israel and the country's own Jewish community.

"Every criminal act motivated by antisemitism is one too many and a shame for our country", he told the Bild am Sonntag newspaper.

President of Germany Frank-Walter Steinmeier said he was "shocked and shamed" by the protests, adding that rejection of antisemitism was a "non-negotiable" condition for living in Germany.

And Heiko Maas, the acting justice minister, said antisemitism was an "attack on everyone" and can't be "allowed to have a place [in society] again".

Foreigners with valid resident permits, including those who have been granted asylum, can already be evicted from the country if they commit a serious crime.

For example, in 2017 a man served two-and-a-half years in a juvenile detention centre for causing grievous bodily harm with fatal consequences was deported back to Serbia upon his release.

While the Federal Ministry of Migration and Refugees (BAMF) can issue a "threat of deportation" it is ultimately down to local authorities Germany's 16 federal states to make the final decision.

Local authorities can refuse to carry out a deportation if they think returning a person to their country of origin could put their life lin danger, or because they are too physically or mentally ill to travel.

There were 25,375 deportations from Germany in 2016 which was an increase of 21.5% compared to 2015.

In 2017, Chancellor Merkel unveiled a 16-point plan to speed up deportations ahead of the September election.

Many commentators saw it as an attempt to rally her conservative base behind her in response to the Alternative for Germany (AFD) party's criticisms of the country's asylum seeker and immigration policies.