Germany's Bundestag classifies 3 Maghreb states as safe

The Bundestag, the lower house of the German parliament, approved a draft law on Friday to add Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia to a list of "safe countries of origin."

The regulation is an attempt to reduce the number of asylum seekers in Germany, allowing German authorities to speed up the process of sending asylum seekers from these three countries back to their nations of origin.

Under the German constitution, the government can classify countries as safe if "it appears guaranteed that neither political persecution nor inhuman or degrading punishment or treatment occurs."

Ahead of Friday's vote, German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere defended the new rule, noting that a large number of people from the three Maghreb states come to Germany for reasons that are not connected to asylum, but "because benefits are better (in Germany) than they might be in their home country."

In the first quarter of 2016, only 0.7 percent of applicants from these countries were granted protection status, according to him.

"Against this background, it is important to adapt the asylum procedures," the minister told lawmakers.

Friday's decision must still be approved by the Bundesrat, the upper house of parliament, before it can be implemented. The Bundesrat is expected to vote on the new law in June. Endit