Migrating Families Gain More Visas in Germany This Year
Germany sees a surge in family reunification visas in 2023, surpassing the 117,000 issued in 2022, according to data from the Federal Foreign Office to Clara Bünger, a left-wing Bundestag member, shared by Deutsche Presse-Agentur.
The notable dip in 2023 visas for relatives of refugees, asylum seekers, and those with subsidiary protection - numbering at 10,570, 12,067, and 254, respectively - pales in comparison to the 101,734 visas issued for general family reunification for non-refugee family members residing in Germany. Around 12,500 of these visas were granted to family members of individuals with Turkish citizenship.
The grind of waiting for visa appointments extends to applicants, sometimes into over a year at German embassies in Dhaka, Islamabad, and Lagos. "Refugee families are separated for years due to obstacles in escaping and lengthy asylum procedures," Bünger shared with Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland. "Excessive waiting times for visas compound this, causing young children to grow up without their parents or separated from them for years."
Related Stories:
- Clara Bünger, a German parliamentarian from the Left Party, requested data on family reunification visas issued in 2023. The data revealed a substantial increase compared to 2022 visas.
- Preliminary reports from Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland indicated that Germany issued around 117,000 visas for family reunification in 2022.
- The Federal Foreign Office provided data, confirming the substantial increase in family reunification visas in 2023, particularly for non-refugee family members in Germany.
- In response to the increased visa issuances, Clara Bünger voiced concern over the lengthy waiting times for visa appointments, underlining the impact on the human right to family life and child welfare in refugee families.
Sources:
Enrichment Data: Germany issued 1,459,560 family reunification visas (D visas) in 2023, representing an increase from the previous year. However, no exact data is available on the additional visas issued in 2023 compared to 2022.
The protracted waiting times for visa appointments at German embassies like Dhaka, Islamabad, and Lagos can cause significant delays and stress for refugee families, ranging from over a year for some embassies. Despite the accelerated procedure with prior approval from the Foreigner's office, waiting times remain substantial, and the approval is not guaranteed, presenting challenges for families in urgent need of reunification. The typical processing time for a D visa is between 6 weeks and 3 months.
