Ankara Calls on Germany to Ease Visa Restrictions for Turkish Citizens
The number of Turks fleeing to Germany continues to increase every month. Currently, there are over 230,000 people in the country awaiting deportation, with the vast majority of them being Turkish.
This is mainly due to the fact that asylum applications from Turks are not being accepted by many EU countries, including Germany. Turkey is considered a safe country, a NATO partner, and a candidate for full EU membership, leading to refusals of asylum requests.
Reasons for Turkish Citizens Fleeing to Germany
Many individuals attempt to seek asylum by claiming, “I am of Kurdish descent, not Turkish.” While talks continue between Turkey and Germany on the “collective return” of those whose asylum requests have been rejected, the Berliner Morgenpost newspaper analyzed why Turks are fleeing to Germany.
The newspaper stated, “The majority of Turkish refugees are leaving their country due to poor economic conditions, the earthquake in February 2023, and Erdogan’s reelection. After the earthquake, Germany issued over 10,000 ‘earthquake visas’, with many of them choosing not to return and instead seeking asylum in Germany.”
Negotiations and Challenges in Deportation
Debates are ongoing on how to send approximately 15,600 Turks whose deportation orders have been finalized back to Turkey. Reports suggest that Turkey is requesting “facilitation in obtaining EU visas” in exchange for taking back these individuals, causing negotiations to reach a stalemate.
In the past three years, obtaining Schengen visas, especially for Turks, has become increasingly difficult, with waiting times extending up to a year. Regarding illegal immigrants, the EU’s stance is clear. As Turkey is not a war zone, asylum requests from Turkish citizens are not accepted, leaving thousands of Turks in Germany either working illegally or hiding with relatives.
Stalemate in Negotiations
While German Chancellor Scholz talks about the need to deport those who do not have the right to stay on a large scale, no progress has been made regarding Turkish asylum seekers. Approximately 1,500 Turks were deported last year, and this number is expected to increase slightly this year. However, without an agreement between Ankara and Berlin, particularly in light of Turkey’s insistence on visa facilitation, mass deportations seem unlikely to begin in the near future.
