German parliament passes migration bills

The German lawmakers on Friday approved a package of laws reforming rules on asylum and migration. The laws included a government-proposed bill intended to make it harder for failed asylum-seekers to avoid deportation or hide their true identity.

More than 200,000 failed asylum-seekers were required to leave Germany last year, but authorities managed to deport only about 25,000, AP said.

A separate bill will make it easier for skilled workers from non-EU citizens to come to Germany. People with sufficient qualifications who speak German will in future be able to apply for six-month permits to hunt for jobs in the country.

Previously, migrant workers from outside the EU had to show they had an employment contract before arriving in Germany.