德國擬全面修改針對移民的法律
Angela Merkel’s government has proposed sweeping changes to Germany’s laws on immigrants that would allow the country to deport minors convicted of serious crimes.
安格拉默克爾(Angela Merkel)的政府提議全面修改德國針對移民的法律，使該國能夠驅逐被判犯有嚴重罪行的未成年人。
The proposal is part of a tough legal package Berlin has hastily put together in response to public outrage over sex attacks in Cologne on New Year’s eve and widespread concern that asylum seekers from north Africa and the Middle East are among those responsible. The number of women alleging they were molested or robbed in the assaults has risen to more than 550.
這項提案是柏林方面倉促出爐的嚴厲法律對策的一部分，目的是迴應公衆對於跨年夜科隆發生的羣體性侵事件的憤怒，以及各方對於作案者竟是來自北非及中東的尋求庇護者的普遍關注。聲稱自己在此次事件中被騷擾或搶劫的女性人數已升至逾550人。
Ahead of an emergency Bundestag debate scheduled for today on the Cologne attacks, Ms Merkel vowed that the new rules would be passed “as soon as possible”.
在德國聯邦議院(Bundestag)今日就科隆事件舉行緊急辯論前夕，默克爾誓言將“儘快”推動通過新規則。
The proposals would increase judges’ powers to deport foreign citizens convicted of serious crimes such as sex assaults. At present the courts can only order deportations when criminals are given custodial sentences of at least three years. The legal changes would allow deportations to go ahead for people given suspended sentences or jail-terms as short as one year, as well as for offenders aged under 18.
這項提案將增加法官的權力，使他們有權驅逐被判犯有嚴重罪行（如性侵犯）的外國公民。目前，法院只能在罪犯至少被判三年監禁的情況下才能發出驅逐令。修訂後的法律將允許驅逐被判緩刑或僅一年監禁的人，以及不到18歲的罪犯。
Ms Merkel faces intense political pressure over the Cologne attacks, notably from her own CDU party and its sister, the Bavaria-based CSU, whose leader Horst Seehofer is the leading critic of Ms Merkel’s liberal approach to refugees. A sceptical CDU MP said: “Cologne has made the atmosphere more tense because things have become more urgent.”
默克爾在科隆事件上受到巨大政治壓力，特別是來自她所在的政黨基民盟(CDU)及其姊妹政黨、總部位於巴伐利亞的基社盟(CSU)的壓力；基社盟黨魁霍斯特澤霍費爾(Horst Seehofer)帶頭批評默克爾對難民擺出的開明姿態。一名持懷疑態度的基民盟議員表示：“科隆事件使得氣氛更加緊張，因爲事情已變得更加緊迫。”
The rightwing Alternative für Deutschland has also jumped on the Cologne attacks to lambast what it depicts as the failure of the chancellor’s refugee policy — and demanded her resignation. While Muslim groups have raised fears of racist attacks, anti-immigration populists have taken to the streets, most recently yesterday in Leipzig — a demonstration followed by a brief violent rampage by rightwing extremists.
右翼的德國新選擇黨(Alternative für Deutschland)也抓住科隆事件，猛轟其所稱的德國總理難民政策的失敗，並要求默克爾辭職。儘管穆斯林團體表示對種族主義攻擊感到恐懼，但是反對移民的民粹主義者已經走上街頭，最近一次是昨日在萊比錫——他們舉行了示威，之後右翼極端分子進行了短暫的暴力發泄。
But many lawyers warn the plan may have little practical impact since German courts can deport people to a limited range of states and only if the home government agrees and the convicted person has travel documents. Referring to such constraints, Hannelore Kraft, premier of North Rhine-Westphalia, which includes Cologne, said: “ These are all things that we must change.”
但許多律師警告稱，政府的計劃可能沒有什麼實際影響，因爲德國法院只能把罪犯驅逐到有限的幾個國家，而且必須是在獲得對方國家政府同意、且被判犯罪的人持有旅行證件的情況下。科隆所在的北萊茵-威斯特法倫州的州長漢娜洛蕾克拉夫特(Hannelore Kraft)在談到這些約束時表示：“這些都是我們必須改變的事情。”
