German government plans to allow asylum-seekers to work sooner and punish smugglers harder

By GEIR MOULSON
Associated Press

BERLIN (AP) — The German government has approved legislation that would allow asylum-seekers to start working sooner and a plan to stiffen punishment for people who smuggle migrants. The package backed on Wednesday by the Cabinet, which still requires parliamentary approval, is the latest in a series of steps taken recently by the government as it tries to defuse migration as a major political problem. Last week, ministers approved legislation intended to ease deportations of unsuccessful asylum-seekers. On Monday, Scholz will meet Germany’s 16 state governors for a meeting expected to center on responses to migration. Even as it struggles with the new arrivals, the government also is grappling with a shortage of skilled labor.