German Cabinet backs legislation to ease deportation of rejected asylum-seekers

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is seeking to defuse migration as a political problem (Markus Schreiber/AP)

The German Cabinet has approved legislation intended to ease the deportation of unsuccessful asylum-seekers as Chancellor Olaf Scholz seeks to defuse migration as a political problem.

The draft legislation, which would need parliamentary approval to take effect, foresees increasing the maximum length of pre-deportation custody from 10 days to 28 and specifically facilitating the deportation of people who are members of a criminal organisation.