Mandatory vaccinations and weapons law New legal standards: What changes in March
Berlin · Following attacks at home and abroad, stricter weapons legislation is now in force. A further new regulation addresses the government's response to the shortage of skilled workers. And after renewed outbreaks of measles, vaccination regulations have been tightened at the beginning of March.
On Sunday, several new legal regulations came into force - the compulsory vaccination against measles, as well as one concerning the immigration of skilled workers to Germany and one for stricter weapons regulations. Here is an overview:
HEALTH/MEASLES: Children and adults who are cared for in communal facilities such as schools and daycare centers or even asylum-seeker homes must now be vaccinated against measles. This also applies to employees of these institutions or in the medical field. Children without a measles vaccination can be excluded from attending a day care center. Measles is one of the most contagious infectious diseases and can be fatal. However, there is criticism of the implementation of the law.
IMMIGRATION OF SKILLED WORKERS ACT: The Act is intended to create the framework for a targeted and increased immigration of skilled workers, mainly from non-EU countries. According to the government, the target group is persons with a university degree or qualified vocational training. In the area of qualified employment, for example, the priority review will be abolished on March 1. In the past, this review has looked to see whether Germans, EU citizens or persons with a residence permit are eligible for the job first; only if this was ruled out, could foreigners from so-called third countries be admitted.
HEALTH: If patients regularly need a certain medicine, doctors can now issue a "repeat prescription" - this means that a medicine can be collected from the pharmacy up to four times. To protect young people from unnecessary cosmetic surgery, advertising aimed exclusively or predominantly at them is prohibited. Victims of rape now receive "confidential forensics" on sperm or knockout drops, for example, which are paid for nationwide by the public health insurance companies.
WEAPONS LAW: On Sunday, further sections of the stricter weapons law came into force, the first of those steps having taken place on February 20. More tightening regulations will come into force in the course of the year. These are intended to make it more difficult to use firearms for terrorist and criminal purposes.
Among other things, the National Arms Register will be expanded: The complete life cycle of weapons and major weapon components will be documented. The disappearance of weapons into illegality is to be prevented, which is why new reporting obligations for arms manufacturers and arms dealers are also taking effect. Furthermore, an obligation to report firearms that have been rendered unusable will be introduced and the circle of prohibited items will be expanded. The states can also set up weapons and knives prohibition zones in busy places and in educational institutions.
WOLVES: In the future, wolves can be shot more easily if sheep or other farm animals are killed. Although every shooting must still be approved, it is no longer necessary to know exactly which wolf killed the animals.
(Orig. text: dpa; Translation: ck)
