Germany must look again at deporting foreigners convicted of crimes following the Cologne sex attacks, Chancellor Angela Merkel says, the BBC reports.
She said “clear signals” had to be sent to those not prepared to abide by German law.
Gangs of men described as of North African and Arab appearance were reported to be behind the attacks.
Meanwhile, similar incidents from New Year’s Eve have been reported in Finland and Switzerland.
“What happened on New Year is not acceptable,” Mrs Merkel said in a statement.
“These are repugnant criminal acts that a state, that Germany will not accept. The feeling women had in this case of being at people’s mercy, without any protection, is intolerable for me personally as well.
“That’s why it is important that everything that happened there will be brought to the table. We must examine again and again whether we have already done what is necessary in terms of deportations from Germany, in order to send clear signals to those who are not prepared to abide by our legal order.”
