Saxony's interior minister criticizes federal law on deportation

Saxony's Interior Minister Armin Schuster (CDU) has announced opposition to the new federal law on the faster deportation of rejected asylum seekers. Schuster told the radio station MDR Aktuell on Thursday that he is quite upset and is trying to ensure that the law is brought to the mediation committee by the Bundesrat on Friday. The Bundestag had significantly worsened the law introduced by the federal government. In principle, a law to improve returns has become a law to prevent returns.

The new law stipulates, among other things, that rejected asylum seekers will be provided with a public defender and informed about their deportation before they are detained. "In principle, this regulation makes it more difficult to do what this law was made for - to prevent people from absconding," said Schuster.

Saxony deported 850 people last year and persuaded 630 to leave the country voluntarily. "That's around 1500 last year. That is a success and it is now under threat. And we actually wanted to do better."