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| Cologne attacks: Merkel considers tougher migrant laws | Cologne attacks: Merkel considers tougher migrant laws |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said she will consider changes in the law to make it easier to deport migrants who commit crimes, after sex attacks on women in Cologne. | |
| The attacks on New Year's Eve have shocked the country and sparked a debate about Germany's open-door policy on migrants. | The attacks on New Year's Eve have shocked the country and sparked a debate about Germany's open-door policy on migrants. |
| The police's handling of the events has also been sharply criticised. | The police's handling of the events has also been sharply criticised. |
| The head of the city police force has been suspended from his duties. | The head of the city police force has been suspended from his duties. |
| Victims described chaos as dozens of sexual assaults and robberies were carried out with little apparent response from the authorities. | Victims described chaos as dozens of sexual assaults and robberies were carried out with little apparent response from the authorities. |
| Under current German laws, asylum seekers are only forcibly sent back if they have been sentenced to at least three years, and providing their lives are not at risk in their countries of origin. | Under current German laws, asylum seekers are only forcibly sent back if they have been sentenced to at least three years, and providing their lives are not at risk in their countries of origin. |
| Officials from Angela Merkel's conservative Christian Democrat party are expected to propose that migrants jailed for any length of time should face deportation. | Officials from Angela Merkel's conservative Christian Democrat party are expected to propose that migrants jailed for any length of time should face deportation. |
| "I think there are indications that changes must happen," Ms Merkel said. | "I think there are indications that changes must happen," Ms Merkel said. |
| "The interior minister and the justice minister are discussing just what we could improve," she added. | "The interior minister and the justice minister are discussing just what we could improve," she added. |
| The party leadership is holding a policy meeting in the city of Mainz on Saturday. | The party leadership is holding a policy meeting in the city of Mainz on Saturday. |
| Merkel under pressure - BBC's Anna Holligan in Cologne | Merkel under pressure - BBC's Anna Holligan in Cologne |
| Angela Merkel's challenge is to reassure an increasingly pessimistic public that she has a long-term plan. The Chancellor showed compassion when she welcomed more than a million refugees and migrants into Germany in 2015. Now she must make it clear there are limits to German tolerance. | Angela Merkel's challenge is to reassure an increasingly pessimistic public that she has a long-term plan. The Chancellor showed compassion when she welcomed more than a million refugees and migrants into Germany in 2015. Now she must make it clear there are limits to German tolerance. |
| Anti-immigration campaigners have seized on the Cologne incident as an example of what they see as the failure of the country's asylum policy. The prominence of the far-right Pegida movement was fading. It is now using the attacks as a propaganda tool. | Anti-immigration campaigners have seized on the Cologne incident as an example of what they see as the failure of the country's asylum policy. The prominence of the far-right Pegida movement was fading. It is now using the attacks as a propaganda tool. |
| On the other side of what is a widening chasm, established Islamic groups here have expressed fears that the actions of a few may jeopardise the future of many. | On the other side of what is a widening chasm, established Islamic groups here have expressed fears that the actions of a few may jeopardise the future of many. |
| With tension rising and tolerance waning, Germany's doors remain open, but many here are increasingly asking, for how long and at what cost? | With tension rising and tolerance waning, Germany's doors remain open, but many here are increasingly asking, for how long and at what cost? |
| Women describe 'terrible' assaults | Women describe 'terrible' assaults |
| Cologne mayor's 'code of conduct' attacked | Cologne mayor's 'code of conduct' attacked |
| The search for answers | The search for answers |
| The identification of the attackers in Cologne as North African or Arab in appearance has caused alarm in Germany because of the influx of more than a million migrants and refugees in the past year. | The identification of the attackers in Cologne as North African or Arab in appearance has caused alarm in Germany because of the influx of more than a million migrants and refugees in the past year. |
| Meanwhile German officials have warned that anti-immigrant groups have been trying to use the attacks to stir up hatred. | Meanwhile German officials have warned that anti-immigrant groups have been trying to use the attacks to stir up hatred. |
| Similar attacks to those seen in Cologne were also reported in Hamburg and in Stuttgart. | Similar attacks to those seen in Cologne were also reported in Hamburg and in Stuttgart. |
| The anti-immigration Pegida group has said it will hold a demonstration in Cologne on Saturday. | The anti-immigration Pegida group has said it will hold a demonstration in Cologne on Saturday. |
| Police are expecting around 1,000 people to gather in front of the city's main train station, German media reports say. | Police are expecting around 1,000 people to gather in front of the city's main train station, German media reports say. |
| Federal authorities say they have identified 18 asylum-seekers among 31 suspects. They are suspected of theft and violence, but not sexual assault. | Federal authorities say they have identified 18 asylum-seekers among 31 suspects. They are suspected of theft and violence, but not sexual assault. |
| The suspects include nine Algerians, eight Moroccans, four Syrians, five Iranians, two Germans and one each from Iraq, Serbia and the US. | The suspects include nine Algerians, eight Moroccans, four Syrians, five Iranians, two Germans and one each from Iraq, Serbia and the US. |
| The state interior minister of North Rhine-Westphalia, Ralf Jaeger said on Friday that he had suspended police chief Wolfgang Albers from his duties. | The state interior minister of North Rhine-Westphalia, Ralf Jaeger said on Friday that he had suspended police chief Wolfgang Albers from his duties. |
| He has been accused of holding back information about the attacks, in particular about the origin of the suspects. | He has been accused of holding back information about the attacks, in particular about the origin of the suspects. |
| Separately to the federal investigation focusing on what happened at the station itself, Cologne police are investigating 21 people in connection with the sexual assaults. It is not known how many of these are asylum seekers. | Separately to the federal investigation focusing on what happened at the station itself, Cologne police are investigating 21 people in connection with the sexual assaults. It is not known how many of these are asylum seekers. |
| The state police have recorded 170 complaints of crimes, 117 of which involve sexual assault. There were two allegations of rape. | The state police have recorded 170 complaints of crimes, 117 of which involve sexual assault. There were two allegations of rape. |
| Two men, aged 16 and 23 and apparently of North African origin, arrested overnight on Thursday in connection with the sex attacks, have been released without charge, according to German media. | Two men, aged 16 and 23 and apparently of North African origin, arrested overnight on Thursday in connection with the sex attacks, have been released without charge, according to German media. |