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Family reunification hard for Eritrean refugees in Germany

Germany granted some 35,000 Eritrean refugees residence permits last year. This entitles them to bring their families over. But not all are successful. Daniel Pelz reports on the reasons for this. With its population of around five

Germany granted some 35,000 Eritrean refugees residence permits last year. This entitles them to bring their families over. But not all are successful. Daniel Pelz reports on the reasons for this.

With its population of around five million, Eritrea is  one of the main countries of origin of African refugees. Young people especially are among those fleeing the brutal Horn of Africa dictatorship to escape indefinite conscription, poverty and a lack of prospects.

Since the German embassy in Eritrea has no visa section, citizens seeking to join relatives already granted permanent residence in Germany have to travel to neighboring countries to seek visas that will reunite them.

Last year, German embassies in Ethiopia, Kenya and Sudan processed 808 such family reunification applications.  394 applications, or 48.8 percent, were approved.

‘High bureaucratic hurdles’

These figures were calculated with the help of an as yet unpublished reponse to a question posed by the Left party faction in the German federal parliament, which DW has obtained.

“High bureaucratic hurdles” are to blame for the problems with family reunification, in the view of Left party lawmaker Ulla Jelpke.

“I’m shocked that family reunification is apparently being made so difficult for these people. It leads to human tragedy,” the domestic affairs spokeswoman told DW.

As a rule, applicants have to be in possession of a passport. Spouses also need to be able to prove that their marriage has been officially registered in Eritrea.

The Left party finds these requirements unreasonable.  “That the federal government expects people to obtain these documents from a military dictatorship, or officials of this dictatorship, is impossible. Naturally, people are extremely frightened to go there or send relatives there,” said Jelpke.

She referred to media reports of the backlash that relatives of refugees must fear from authorities. Eritreans abroad are also obliged to pay penalties to the state.

The German federal government, however, considers its visa application requirements to be acceptable. In response to the query from the Left party, the foreign ministry wrote “there is no systematic correlation between deserting or withdrawing from military service and the refusal by an Eritrean embassy to issue a passport”.

Long visa processing times

In addition, the foreign ministry said there were cases at the embassy in Addis Ababa when the requirement to show a passport was waived. Documents confirming marital status were also easy to obtain, it claimed.

The federal government declined to say how long it takes to issue a visa. “An average processing time could not be determined,” the ministry statement said, pointing out that appointments for first visits are deleted after six months.

During a visit to Jordan by German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas last month, relatives of Syrian refugees complained about the long processing times. Jelpke believes that the relatives of Eritrean refugees are experiencing the same thing. “My practical experience is that people wait months – if not years – before anything happens,” she said.

In its answer to the Left party’s query, the federal government also mentioned a shortage of available appointments at the embassy in Addis Ababa, where most applications for family reunifications were made in the past year.

Instead of being able to book an appointment online, applicants have to add their names to an appointments list. The embassy then works through this list in the order of entries, the federal government said.

According to the government’s response to the Left party query, in total just over 20 people deal with processing visas, not only for the relatives of Eritrean refugees, but for all applicants — a situation that needs to be rectified by increasing staff levels, Jelpke told DW.

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28 COMMENTS
  • Misghina May 12, 2018

    If 35,000 refugees were to bring all their families from Eritrea to Germany then what happens to Eritrea?

    • k.tewolde May 12, 2018

      Their cousins south of the border move in,isn’t that what the capo adi halo been working on for last few decades? 1 out of every 2 residents at home today has a non Eritrean blood from elsewhere and this ratio will be overtaken soon giving the tyrant a landslide victory on the ballot to rule posthumously for the next………given the posture of today’s Eritrean politics.

      • Haregot May 12, 2018

        k.tewolde ; I’m inviting you for ማጨሎት. are you an insane or some one who lacks manner like issaias? disregard my opinion if you are a nomad of eastern Sudan”

        • Bajet May 12, 2018

          Brother Haregot, please ignore this diQala wedi Amate Komarit/hooker scum bag, barbaric evil Islamic ELF mendef whore mouth, wedi Hirkam crippled ELF wheel chaired beggar, ESUB LEKHIBAT JASUS, Enda Kolalit evil trafficker, we should just wish him to ROT in his vicious Islam’s diQala HELL.

          • Bajet May 12, 2018

            scum bag rotten k.tewolde aka Khaliffa bin teKebre/tegoHafe garbage.

          • Danilo May 12, 2018

            Bajet, you humbly insulting people with good manner like k. Tewolde instead of saying something about the topics. I am not going to ask you why because I know who you are. For sure one of anti Eritreans ( ህግደፍ &ወያኔ ) merchandiser of hate. As your name tells, you are just calculating how be the most destructive for peace loving society. ፎእ!!!፨

          • Bajet May 12, 2018

            Ignorant scarico diQala Italian pigo, you are not being drilled properly and regularly by your savage evil muslim Arab slave dogs masters and also my your old fascist Italino bosses, are you kondaf Yemeni nomad saHab gimel??? Keep making love to your evil Yemeni goats and Italiano pigs but make sure they are fucking on top of you so that you might just give a more sub-human looking and thinking scum bags like your k.tewolde/Khaliffa diQala shit garbage. Simply, ROT all of you Arab slave dogs mercenaries in your vicious Islam HELL where you all fucking come from in the first place, capito diQala pigo???

          • Bajet May 12, 2018

            addition: please read as you might just give “us” more ……………

        • Tsehaye May 12, 2018

          Haw Haregot,
          Forgive this creep so called k.tewolde half-cast crap. He is apparently the product of many “Hirkams” collected by his hooker mother for short shots in Abashawul or in Gedarif/Kessela. He grew up with out knowning his REAL father, his hooker/komarit mother gave him her own father’s name tewolde as she couldn’t remember his logical father (his poor hooker mother can’t be blamed nor can be expected to remember all the “Hirkam” payers clients). He is simply a sad attention seeker and lost damaged individual who should be pitied

  • AHMED SALEH !!! May 12, 2018

    Brother k.tewolde
    Have you ever heard when our people say ” xemam hade derfu” .
    Enjoy the song

    • Bajet May 12, 2018

      HARADI TEQOMBAHI mushmus aregit kelbi areb the ROOTLESS CANCEROUS savage evil muslim Arab dog and the demented PIMP, were you fucking singing and celebrating when our poor and unfortunate Christian Eritreans were being savagely beaten up, raped, slaughtered and beheaded by your barbarian savage evil muslim Arab slave masters and in your savage evil muslim Arab lands?? You and your diQala rotten scum bag comrade {in barbaric evil Islamic ELF mendef mercenaries and trafficking} should just ROT in your vicious Islam shit HELL where you all belong.

  • Danilo May 12, 2018

    Bajet,ኮንቶ!!!
    ግዕዘ ምዕዘ ገዲፍካ ጽሓፍ።
    እንተ’ቲ ጸርፊሞ፡ካብ ፈሲ ሹሉ ዝሓልፍ ኣይኮነን።

    • Tsehaye May 12, 2018

      You are also a truly sick moslem/catholic comedian parrot always parroting about shilu, milu…..
      How much dirty blooded Arabs and Italian money do you get to keep parroting all the time????
      If our peaceful and holy Christian habesha lands are to be free, prosperous and beautiful once again then (as well as united with our Tigrean/Ethiopian brothers) we have to get rid of you moslem parasites and the rest dekalu foreign mercenaries korakur for once and for all. The brave EPLF & TPLF chased you away to the Sudan in the past and it will be repeated again but this time you will never return to our beautiful Christian lands of Eritrea/Ethiopia. Get lost poisonous mercenaries.

      • Bajet May 12, 2018

        Indeed brother Tsehaye, we all remember it so happily and proudly about the great brave and courageous EPLF and TPLF lion fighters chasing the vicious Islam’s/Arab’s slave dogs the ROOTLESS CANCEROUS lowland muslim cockroaches and the other ignorant local korakur mercenaries being chased away with their tails behind their chicken trembling/shaking legs. They should simply be advised/reminded as not to make same old mistakes as they must be living shamelessly and painfully in regrets.

  • Mesfin May 12, 2018

    I believe this cheap person called k.tewolde is like Wedi Medhin berad (DIA) who sufferes from severe identity crisis and childhood abuses and insults. I would not be surprised if this k.tewolds is also Wedi Amete berad who suffered so much abuses, insults and kicking in his backside by the customers (nay enda Suwa) of his komarit Amete berad mother. But he should never throw his diKala ELF snake’s venom here on assenna else he would be slaughtered mercilessly.

  • rezen May 12, 2018

    Subject: “Family reunification hard for Eritrean refugees in Germany” By Daniel Pelz, May 11, 2018

    Commentary, 12 May 2010
    Quote “If 35,000 refugees were to bring all their families from Eritrea to Germany then what happens to Eritrea? “ Unquote . Misghina, May 11, 2018
    1. Wishful Answer: If Eritrea is to follow the history of the Jews [as an example], then at one particular moment of history there will be NEW Eritrea blooming with vigour, shining with liberty, freedom and democratic institutions, tolerant to multitude of tribes and religious affiliations, and becoming a Beacon of the shining example to the “Dark” Continent of Africa.
    2. Facing Reality: Failing the above wishful thinking, the precious land property at an attractive location, by the Red Sea, at the strategic corner of the Horn of Africa, will be, in the Tigrigna phrase, ጉዚ (mutilated into pieces). In such horrible situation no amount of bravado and reciting past embellished history can change the flood of reality.
    3. Freedom of Expression: The FIELD is wide open to prove the above wrong, without emotional tantrum. By the way, psychologically it is said that such emotional reaction is a perfect sign of complete hopelessness — directly proportional to the extent of the brain damage and longevity Hmmm………. I better STOP. Have a pleasant week-end at your New Home around the Globe with relatively assured future for your self and your off-springs and their off-springs. THE END
    ——————————————————————————
    Post Script. By the way, there is an interesting Article: by Amanuel Sahle [1]. I read it deliberately and slowly, digesting almost every word. And when I read the last two concluding paragraphs I had to SMILE with admiration for the writer’s wisdom i.e. giving the reader a solace out of logical reality. “Here is to you”, Sir. MY hat is off.
    [1] ኤርትራ፡ ምግንፋልን ምዝሕታልን ሃገራውነት (The Rise and Fall of Eritrean Nationalism) ብ ኣማኑኤል ሳህለ ዓደይ ዓደይ፡ ሽባኻይ ሽባኻይ፡ ገዲፈክን ከይደ ንበረኻይ, May 12, 2018

  • Misghina May 13, 2018

    Mr Rezen, thank you for at least responding positively to my main concern but I must also say/point out that I was very disappointed with that childish and irresponsible response of the sick man k.tewelde. I strongly feel that some Eritreans with exceptional intelligence already know deep inside their heart that it is the Ethiopians (and mainly the Tigrayans) who will be there to save Eritrean Christian highlanders when moslem butcher Arabs come to invade and to Islamize/Arabize poor old Christian Eritrea with their local untrustworthy paid agents like sick weirdo k.tewelde and co. It will not take them long to declare their 7th century dinosaur, backward stone age Islamic sharia law on poor Eritrea.

    • Kampala May 13, 2018

      I agree with you and others Misghina, never trust the Muslims – all very devious dangerous
      people indeed. May ZiHaQonen aslamay ziamenen kulu kontu/bilash.
      Muslims and snakes should always be under your feet as our fathers used to say.
      If you allow or let Muslims and snakes off your feet then you live to regret the rest of your life.

      • k.tewolde May 13, 2018

        Misghina and Kampala,hope you are not posting this from Uganda because you didn’t end up there of Muslims doing neither did I where I reside today.I wonder who is dispatching their young women in droves like a commodity to work as maids and butlers to the middle east to pick up few Riyals and send it back home,so much for saving the christian highlanders from the “savages”,You morons can take this Islamophobic garbage to the car wash. Eritrea was better off when were eating MESHEBEK AND SAMBUSA DURING RAMADAN with our brothers and they in turn feasted with us during FASIKA.,our mothers gathered for coffee in the afternoon and gossiped till dusk with their aromatic incense bellowing through the house,a home full of bliss,we were not aware people like you were watching us with envy. BUDATAT.!

        • AHMED SALEH !!! May 13, 2018

          Who cares about haters who spew foul language day and night . They might be jealous of our rich culture . Yes in deed BUDATAT never show goodwill toward
          Eritrean and others including to their own people .
          TEFETRO HASAD SEB HASAD KHOYNU YINEBR.

        • Misghina May 14, 2018

          k.tewelde – truly, raza nay abeu haza – like father like son, but in your sad case it is the other way round, you are like your cheap prostitute shormuta mother meaning you are also terowae male cheap prostitute probably just about competing with your shormuta mother for the same butchers bastard Arabs. You and your shormuta lemanit mother as a typical beggars and scavengers were probably queuing up in “savages” Merkato mesgid/mosque for left overs “savages” muslim garbage foods. But you are a liar to claim (falsely/wishfully) that you also fed the “savage” moslems your “Christian” foods!!! How could two lementi/beggars feed others unless they are just sharing their scavenged and begged foods with their “savages” moslem shit dinosaurs? Growing up with a shormuta/prostitute mother has really damaged you beyond repairs and for life, do you flipping now live in a miserable solitary life with cats and dogs? Make sure your cats and dogs don’t follow into your sad reclusive foot steps of becoming same old whores {like you and your mother} as well!

          • Kampala May 14, 2018

            Yes indeed brother Misghina,
            DedHiri adgi ziKedes TiraT adgi lemede’yu negeru,
            and poor wedi shormuta/komarit k.tewolde has been going after his deKalu moslem Arabs “teKobti” and “wegerti”/fuckers kissing/endalaHase their garbage asses/maAkorat. No wonder he is spewing full of garbage craps now all collected with his garbage komarit/shormuta mother over many years.
            Arab’s butler/kedami asshole k.tewolde, if it is not car wash “maAkor wash/miHitsab” that you do where you reside as a garbage sub-human, then please inform us where the fuck you work i.e. if you are ever capable of working or functioning properly? Too sad you might be counted as an Eritrean and a human.

  • Danilo May 13, 2018

    ” who cares about haters who spew foul language day and night ”
    Brother Ahmed, no one çares but they are crossing the red line.

    • Kampala May 14, 2018

      You idiot mafia asshole, you inhumanly crossed the red line of your temporary stay in Eritrea when you collaborated with your moslem animals to kill our young Eritreans in the Arab world.
      With your butcher illegal immigrant cousin ahmed saleh the Libyan, caused so much pains to
      our Christian people of Eritrea & Ethiopia and would soon pay for it heavily, just watch out.

  • Simon G. May 13, 2018

    ግደፉናባ ደቂ ‘ርባዓ
    ኣፍኩም ሓዙልና ደቂ ‘ርባዓ
    መሬትና ግደፉልና ደቂ ‘ርባዓ
    ሓዘንና ቆጺርኩሞ መርዓ
    ዕልል ትብሉ ኣዴታትና ክነብዓ
    ኩፖን ሒዘን ሪጋ ክስርዓ
    ህጻናት ከብልዓ
    ኣይበላዕ ምስደቂ ርባዓ
    ———————————-
    ሎምስ ምበር መዓልቲ ኣዴታት ‘ዩ ኔሩ
    ኣደ ትቐስነሉ
    ምስ ደቃ ትዘናጋዓሉ
    ተመስገን ኣምላኽ ትብለሉ
    ፍሽኽ ኢላ ‘ዞም ደቀይ ትብለሉ
    ምስደቂ ‘ርባዓ ‘ሞ ከመይ ኢሉ
    —————————————-
    ግን: ደሓን: ደሓን ርሑቕ ኣይኮነን

    ኣደይ: ብሓጎስ ተፈንጪሓ ትዕንድረሉ

    ‘ቶም ደቂ’ርባዓስ’ኳ ደቂ ርባዓ
    ‘ቶም ሰዓብቶም ‘ከ እንታይ ንበሎም?
    ኣዲኦም ‘ንዳ ነበዐት ባህ ዝብሎም
    ግን ከምይ ቢሎም?
    ትእንግርት’ዩ ዝስ ካልእ ደኣሞ ንታይ ክብሎም!

    Happy Mother’s Day!

    • Kampala May 14, 2018

      Leflafi WATA nay enda deKalu/deki butlers assholes of the savage bastard Arabs, it is terefmeref WATATAT of Islam and Arabs shits “lackeys/laHasti maAkorat that are destroying our once promising Eritrea. Moreover, it is your flipping muslim illegal immigrants of metahit who are the fucking “deki arbaA” in Eritrea. But you may also be a “tebelatst” opportunist WATA medameKi.

      • Kampala May 14, 2018

        sorry for my last misspelling; it should be read as “tebelatsi” toilet mouth WATA.

      • Danilo May 14, 2018

        Kampala ሓተላ,
        Don’t fool your self. You like it or not Eritrea is and will be only for us. If you try to dived us by hate all ready lost. I am not to insult you because I am a person who doesn’t consider insult means of መዓንጣ።if you have a belly just tray to make us on camp or something ጠርቋሽ ሑንኩሊቶ።

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