German gov't agrees to faster expulsion of criminal foreigners

The German government agreed on Tuesday to a faster expulsion of criminal foreigners in the wake of the New Year's Eve assaults on women in Cologne by mainly Arab and North African male suspects.

German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere and Justice Minister Heiko Maas announced the agreement during a joint press conference after officials within Chancellor Angela Merkel's ruling coalition negotiated proposals related to the Cologne harassment case earlier in the day.

According to the proposals, offenders, including youngsters and adolescents, should be deported when sentenced to imprisonment for serious crimes, regardless of whether or not the sentence is suspended on probation.

Foreigners and asylum seekers are expected to face harsher consequences in the future if they are convicted of bodily harm, sexual assault, theft, or resisting police officers.

Under Germany's current laws, asylum seekers are only sent back if the government sentences them to at least three-year jail terms and deems they will not be in danger if they're sent back to their countries.

In response to the recent attacks, the German government is mulling over revising the legal definition of rape, according to De Maiziere and Maas.

On New Year's Eve, a group of about 1,000 men surrounded, harassed and robbed mostly women in the Western German city of Cologne. Similar violent attacks were also reported in other German cities.

German authorities said on Monday that nearly all the suspects of the violence in Cologne had an immigrant background. Police are currently investigating 19 suspects. Ten of them are identified as asylum applicants, the other nine are presumed to be illegally residing in Germany. Endit