"The government has agreed on a migration package… that will be submitted by the lawmakers from the ruling coalition to the Bundestag [parliament]," Seibert said.
The new legislation tightens the entry rules for persons seeking asylum in Germany. It provides for the establishment of special reception points on the country's borders where an initial decision on an individual's grounds to apply for asylum will be taken. In the absence of such grounds people will be immediately expelled from the country.
The legislation also stipulates that migrants should partially compensate the costs of their integration courses by paying an obligatory monthly fee of 10 euros ($11).
Germany has become a key destination for thousands of refugees and immigrants coming to Europe since the start of 2015. Last year, it registered over a million asylum applications, nearly five times more than the number registered in 2014, according to the German Interior Ministry’s estimates.
