Immigration security

Germany deportation headache with North African migrants

German authorities put pressure on Tunisia, Morocco and Algeria when police established that most of the hundreds of men believed to have sexually assaulted women during New Year's Eve celebrations in Cologne hailed from those countries, but were in the country illegally.

When German authorities want to deport someone from the three countries in question, authorities in those countries insist that the individual must have a valid identity document. Without it, they cannot return.

So in order to avoid deportation, Tunisians, Moroccans and Algerians simply destroy their identity papers.

That sets in motion a long and laborious administrative process in Germany. Authorities must first make a formal request to the countries concerned to issue a temporary travel document -- and to do so they must provide proof of identity, such as fingerprints.