Germany: Fewer visas for Turkish citizens

After the pandemic, many Turks are planning holidays in Europe. However, several – including businessmen – complain about the visa issuance process.

The holiday home in Holland was booked, the cooking in Gelsenkirchen had already started – even the brother-in-law’s favorite beer was already in the fridge. Teacher Jagmur Aslan invited her sister Andalet and her husband to visit them in Germany, since she was unable to travel to Turkey due to her pregnancy. “We were incredibly happy,” he says. The disappointment was therefore equally incredible when she was informed that her sister and her son-in-law did not receive visas for their trip. In the rejection letter, the visa department of the German embassy in Ankara noted that “There are reasonable doubts about your intention to leave the territory of the member states before the visa expires.”

“Nonsense!” says Jagmur Aslan, pointing out that they both work as teachers in Turkey and have strong ties to the country – as well as owning a home there. Their intention, according to her, was to visit Germany only for two weeks, while all the procedures were carried out as prescribed by the regulations: In Germany the Aslan family submitted all the necessary documents to the alien registration office – a kind of guarantee for visitors. They finally sent their statement to Turkey, where her sister submitted the statement to a company that handles visa applications on behalf of the German embassy. They also paid all processing and visa fees. “But all that went to waste,” says Yagmur Aslan sadly.

This is not an isolated case

The case of the Aslan family is by no means an exception. Many Turks are protesting online. Students, artists and businessmen from Turkey and Germany contacted DW about the issue, citing “arbitrariness by German officials”. And these protests do not seem unfounded, as German authorities abroad often cite doubts about the intention to return to Turkey as a reason for rejecting an application. One businessman wrote to DW that three of his five employees did not receive visas this year and therefore did not participate in the Dusseldorf trade fair. Until now his company has always been represented at the exhibition in Dusseldorf and his employees have never had any problems with the visa process.

The reasons for rejection are not recorded by the German authorities

Figures from the German Foreign Ministry also show that more and more applications from Turkish citizens have been rejected by German authorities abroad in recent years. In 2014, German visa offices in Turkey processed more than 197,000 applications. The rejection rate was 5.9%. In 2021, there were around 129,000 applications – a low number due to the pandemic. The rejection rate, on the other hand, increased to 19%, while in the first half of 2022 it reached 20%.

Experts suspect that the country’s unfavorable economic and political situation has negatively affected visa applications. Inflation, unemployment and massive human rights violations do not create “ideal conditions for issuing visas,” says one journalist, who wishes to remain anonymous. He also failed to travel to Berlin. “Our freedom of movement and travel is limited because of political mistakes by our government,” he adds.

In response to a question from DW, a representative of the federal foreign ministry said that decisions on visas are made at the respective embassies and consular authorities abroad and after careful consideration of all parameters. The reasons for rejection are not recorded. However, according to the ministry, the examination of the German authorities also includes the intention to return to the country, which can be substantiated by financial and family ties.

Elmas Toptsou

Edited by: Chrysa Vachtsevanu

Source: Deutsche Welle