Story highlights Draft laws have been proposed to allow Germany to more easily deport migrants guilty of certain crimes

Germany has been turning back increasing numbers of migrants since New Year, say Austrian police

Mob sex assaults on New Year's Eve are being linked to the influx of migrants into the country

(CNN) Germany has announced plans to relax its restrictions on deporting foreign criminals after an unprecedented wave of mob sex assaults in Cologne and other cities on New Year's Eve.

Germany's Justice Ministry announced Tuesday that new laws had been drafted to allow it to more easily deport migrants found guilty of crimes causing death or serious injury, sexual or physical assaults, or resisting police officers.

Previously, migrants to Germany could be deported only if they were found guilty of crimes punishable by a sentence of one year or more.

In a statement, the ministry said the new rules would allow authorities to deport criminals more swiftly. The new laws could be passed as early as next month, a ministry spokesman said.

Protesters from the far-right PEGIDA movement attend a rally in Leipzig on Monday.

Germany has been reeling after a crime wave in Cologne on New Year's Eve. Large numbers of women reported being sexually assaulted or robbed by gangs of men of Arab or North African appearance during celebrations in the city center, with some victims saying they feared for their lives.

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