german visa affair 2005

The so-called visa affair is an on-going debate in Germany that started in January, 2005. The opposition Christian Democratic Union in the German Bundestag installed a Commission of Inquiry on the handling of visa and security. They claim that the visa policy of Germany's Minister of Foreign Affairs Joschka Fischer and his former minister of state Ludger Volmer made it too easy to get a visa to Germany, which in turn increased illegal immigration. The foreign minister and his party, Alliance 90/The Greens, argue that it was a long standing goal of German policy -- even before the red-green coalition government -- to ease travelling from Eastern Europe to Germany, and that they acted as soon as problems with regulations became visible. Most of the German mass media copied the CDU/CSU arguments and accused the foreign minister of knowingly easing crime and prostitution. Statistics about crime and illegal immigration do not show a correlation with the visa policy. Fischer for the first time in over six years in February, 2005, lost his leading position in opinion polls to Christian Democrats Christian Wulff.

Timeline

1999/2000

1999: The German embassy in Kiev, Ukraine alone issued more than 150,000 visa for Germany. Long queues formed in front of the embassy. Applicants reported that Ukrainian security personnel demanded DM 100 to 500 from every applicant to get ahead in the queue.

2000: In the beginning of 2000, the state minister in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ludger Volmer, issued a decree (the so-called "Volmer's Decree"), which extended the discretion of the individual embassisies in deciding about visa applications. The decree aimed at easing travelling to Germany. When in doubt, the application should be decided in favour of the applicant.

At the same time, the possibility to apply for a visa directly at a travelling agency was introduced. This regulation was opposed by the Federal Bundesgrenzschutz as well as by the Bundeskriminalamt (Federal Crime Agency), because they feared that it would lead to easier migration into Germany for criminals, as well. They cited a criminal court decision against the manager of a travel agency who organised illegal migration into Germany, using the travelling agency procedure. The "tourists" went underground, became prostitutes or left Germany for other countries of the European Union.

March 9, 2000: Minister of the Interior, Otto Schily (SPD) wrote a letter to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Joschka Fischer, saying that he sees in the "Volmer's Decree" a violation of the foreigners law as well as of the Schengen Treaty. As of 2005, it is not clear if Schily intervened further, or why not.

2001/2002

May 2, 2001: Embassies worldwide are advised to accept the travelling safety insurance Carnet de Tourist of the German Automobil Club (ADAC). The ADAC sells between 120,000 and 150,000 of these insurances, the Allianz insurance company sells more than 35,000 and the ITREC GmbH more than 31,000.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also advises the embassies to accept travelling safety insurances of the Reiseschutz AG, owned by private entrepreneur Kbler. This TSI is said to have played an important role in the smuggling of people into Germany. The Ministry of the Interior is informed about this by the Federal Crime Agency (BKA).

The Cologne criminal court claims in a trial against Anatoli B., that the "Volmer's Decree", the acceptance of travelling safety insurance and the application for visa at travelling agencies have led to mass smuggling of people. In the verdict, this is called "a cold coup d'etat against the law".

July, 2001: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs ends the application for visa at travelling agencies, starting with October 1, 2001. Instead of going to a travelling agency, every applicant has to come to the visa department in the embassy, again. However, it was assumed that a travelling safety insurance suffieced as document of credit-worthiness of the applicant.

January 29, 2002: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs decreed it possible to sell and buy travelling safety insurance directly in foreign countries. It is said that this increased the problems in Kiev and that flying traders selled travelling safety insurance for as much as $1,000.

February 8, 2002: The German ambassador in Kiev informs that the Kiev embassy is flooded with applicants showing their credit-worthiness with travelling safety insurances.

2003/2004

April, 2003: Travelling safety insurances are not accredited any longer.

October 28, 2004: The "Volmer's Decree" is revised. The credit-worthiness of the applicant has to be examined, again.

2005

January 20, 2005: First meeting of the Commission of Inquiry in the German Bundestag. This commission -- a kind of judical hearing -- was installed with the votes of the opposition parties CDU and CSU. The CDU is represented by Eckart von Klaeden. It is assumed that Joschka Fischer will have to make a statement in the commission, the exact time is still in discussion.

February 12, 2005: Ludger Volmer retired as Speaker for Foreign Affairs of the green faction in the Bundestag, after media critized his work as consultant for Synthesis GmbH, which worked for the Bundesdruckerei, a formerly state-owned company producing identity cards, banknotes and other secure documents.

February, 2005: For the first time in over six years opinon polls didn't show Joschka Fischer in the first place in the popularity vote. Actually, the leading position in the popularity vote went to Christian democratic minister-president of Lower Saxony, Christian Wulff.

March 22, 2005: Media report that the federal chancellery was informed about a dispute between Otto Schily and Joschka Fischer about visa politics as early as in March, 2000. It is said that the chancellor Gerhard Schrder himself was not informed.

March 26, 2005: Eckart von Klaeden said that Joschka Fischer should say the truth before the elections in North Rhine-Westphalia. The CDU/CSU tries to force a statement by Fischer with the "zipper method". If that method works, a statement by Fischer is to be expected in mid-April to mid-May.

March 31 2005: Media report that Fischer will speak in front of the Inquiry Commission in mid-April, earlier than previously expected. While the opposition parties had wanted Fischer to testify before the May elections in North-Rhine Westphalia, and the North-Rhine Westphalian Greens had also wanted to get the matter cleared up before than, many others in the coalition government at the federal level had been seeming to try to delay Fischer's testimony until after the elections. The testimony of SPD minister of the interior Otto Schily is currently scheduled for June.