New law in Germany makes it easier to expel foreigners

The German government has adopted a bill that makes it easier to expel foreigners who support terrorist crimes, including on social media, in a phenomenon that has been growing since Hamas's attack on Israel.

The bill, which constitutes an amendment to the law on the right to residence, stipulates that approval of a single terrorist act or its promotion will be sufficient for the conditions of expulsion to apply in this case, while the current law refers to making supportive statements that address several facts.

The Interior Ministry said that "a single comment glorifying or supporting a terrorist crime on social media can constitute a serious motive for expelling."

Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck commented in a statement that this law represents "a great gain and strength for our country so that persecuted individuals can find protection in Germany. But those who violate the basic liberal order by praising terrorism and celebrating terrible crimes lose their right to stay."

He added that "Islam belongs to Germany, not Islamic extremism."

The government, in its project that still requires the approval of MPs, considered that this glorification on the Internet fuels a climate of violence that could incite extremists or people who could be considered dangerous to commit terrorist acts.