Less Schengen visa for Turkish citizens

After the pandemic, more Turks want to travel back to Western Europe. But only a few get a visa. What are their problems with visas?

The home in the Netherlands on vacation was booked, the house refrigerator in Gelsenkirchen was packed, even ordered by the sister and brother - in - law's favorite beer. Because instead of a trip to Turkey, teacher Jagmur Aslan had invited Sister Adelet and her husband Ariff to her home this summer because of her pregnancy. “We were extremely happy that we were going to be”, she says.

Thus, disappointment was even greater when Yagmur Aslan found that her sister and brother - in - law could not obtain a travel visa. In announcing the refusal, the German Embassy's visa department in Ankara wrote: “has reasonable doubts that you will not leave member states' territory before the end of the” visa.

- What? ” says Jagmur Aslan. “Adals and Arifi are teachers, they have strong ties with Turkey, they have their home and they want to come to Germany for only three weeks.” According to her, everything had been done correctly: in Germany, the Aslan family handed over to the immigration authorities all documents required to enable visa issuing had been issued a kind of guarantee for visitors.

The guarantee was sent to Turkey. The sister handed over the bail declaration to a company that accepts visa applications on behalf of the German Embassy along with many other necessary documents. Both have also paid visa and processing fees. “But all efforts were in vain”, Jagmur Aslan said.

The Aslan family case is not unique. Many frustrated Turks vent their anger on the Internet. Many students, artists and businessmen from Turkey and Germany have written DW, where they complain about “arbitrates by German officials”.

The reasons presented by German missions abroad leave much room for the charge, since the reason is often that the purpose of the trip is unconvincing and there are doubts that people will not return to their homeland.

For example, Süleyman Urebe, a student funded by the EU's Erasmus programme, reports that his visa application had been denied even though the documents were complete. He has even delivered a guarantee from Germany, even though this is not necessary for an Erasmus visa. According to Wrebe, this decision is also a disregard for Erasmus ' program and destroys young people's dreams.

Disappointed by German authorities, the owner of the Esengül Celik Gallery has also indicated. She wanted to go to Documenta in Cassel, but her efforts were in vain.

A businessman writes to DW that three of his five employees did not obtain a visa this year and for that reason were unable to attend the fair held in Düsseldorf. So far, his company has always been represented at this fair, while his employees have never had problems with visas.

The noted director of the documents ãom Kivanc reports that some from a group that wanted to attend a memorial ceremony for a late friend in Hamburg did not get a visa.

Number of Rejections Increase

Liberalisierung der EU-Visa für Albania Tirana Feerlickeyen
Foreign Ministry figures also show that more and more requests by Turkish citizens have been rejected by German diplomatic representatives abroad in recent years. In 2014, more than 197,000 applications were filed at German visa offices in Turkey. The rejection rate was 5.9 per cent. In 2021 there were only about 129,000 applications because of the pandemic. On the other hand, the rate of rejection rose dramatically and was 19 percent. In the first half of this year, the rate of rejection has reached more than 20 per cent.

There are doubts that the country's unfavourable economic and political situation plays a negative role in granting visas. Gallopant inflation, high unemployment and massive human rights violations “are not ideal conditions for visas”, says an experienced journalist who wants to remain anonymous. He was also unable to travel to Berlin. Our license to travel is limited due to the wrong policies of our government”, the journalist said.

Cell number drop in other countries

Not only Germany, but also other Schengen countries are releasing fewer and fewer visas for Turkish citizens. According to an AKP MP's report, Ziya Altunyaldiz, in 2014 only four per cent of applications by Turkish citizens were rejected by Schengen countries. In 2020, this figure is more than tripled.

According to the schengenvisinfo.com portal, which collects data on Schengen visas, the denial rate even reached 19 per cent last year. The Schengen visa allows you to move freely to 26 Schengen area countries, much of the EU.

Turkish Travel Association Chairman ⇩ RSAB, Firuz Baglikaya, reported this week on a major drop in ticket sales and a uncertainty in the tourism industry due to the current practice of visa giving. This is now jeopardising the existence of many tourist agencies.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has criticised the high degree of visa rejection: “They are doing so deliberately and deliberately”. This is being done to trouble the AKP government before the 2023 elections. Cavusoglu warned of countermass if the situation does not improve.

Reasons for Denial

A German Foreign Ministry spokeswoman told DW that diplomatic missions decide on visa applications in each individual case, in accordance with the staying-powered regulations and after carefully examining all circumstances. There is no statistical record for the reasons for rejection. The objective of returning to the country should also be explained, which in principle can be confirmed by financial and family conditions.

Then I can't quite understand my sister's refusal”, says teacher Jagmur Aslan of Gelsenkirchen. My “My sister and her husband are teachers, they have their residence and savings. Why weren't they given visas then? The family has officially complained, she says. “Although summer is over, we insist this error be corrected”. / DW