GETTY Merkel called for North African countries to be added to the list of safe countriesThe proposal would make it easier for Germany to deny asylum requests from migrants from Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco on the grounds they are deemed safe in their own home countries. But the embattled German Chancellor saw her plans put on ice, as opposition parties blocked the proposals over concerns the countries were not actually safe for migrants to return to. But on Friday "safe countries" plan was rejected by the leftist Greens and Linke parties, after they voiced concerns over the rights records of those countries - including on the treatment of homosexuals. Dieter Lauinger, a Green politician, added that poor approval rates alone should not mean that Tunisia, Morocco and Algeria should be considered safe. “So declaring them safe countries won't do any good."

Source: The North Africa Journal March 11, 2017 12:47 UTC