German parliament backs tougher rules for asylum seekers

(ANSA-AFP) - BERLIN, OCT 18 - The German parliament on Friday voted to tighten rules for asylum seekers as Berlin takes a tougher line on immigration after recent electoral gains for the far right. The package of measures will withdraw benefits from asylum seekers who have already been registered in other EU countries and are slated for deportation. It will also mean that refugees who temporarily return to their home countries will "as a rule" lose their right to protection in Germany, according to the legislation. The same will apply to refugees who commit crimes with anti-Semitic or homophobic motivation. The new rules were brought forward by the government in August in response to a deadly stabbing at a festival in the western city of Solingen.
    (ANSA-AFP).