BEIJING - European countries led by Germany have tightened asylum rules amid continuing refugee waves in the new year that are having an impact on the local societies. 
GERMAN DEAL
Leaders of Germany's ruling coalition struck a compromise on changes to asylum laws on Thursday, said German Deputy Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel.
According to the deal, refugees who are not facing "immediate personal persecution" will not be allowed to bring relatives to join them for two years.
The coalition also plans to declare Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia safe countries of origin, making it easier to send migrants back to those countries, Gabriel said.
The package of measures was first tentatively agreed in early November but has been held up since then as German Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives and Gabiel's center-left Social Democrats squabbled over who should initially be blocked from bringing relatives to Germany.
Merkel has come under increased pressure in recent months to reverse her open-arms policy to those asylum seekers, including opposition from within her own conservative camp.
A poll conducted by the weekly magazine Focus published Friday showed that about 40 percent of Germans think Merkel should resign as a result of her handling of the refugee crisis.
Experts say that the coalition government decided to adopt tougher measures for the fear that it would lose support in the upcoming regional elections.
Earlier this week, the Cabinet approved measures that would make it easier to deport foreign criminals, a separate package that ministers drew up amid outrage over sexual assaults on New Year's Eve in Cologne blamed largely on foreigners.(Xinhua)