German current affairs magazine Der Spiegel published an investigation on Monday claiming some members of staff processing visa applications for the German consulate in the Kurdistan Region capital had made common cause with people smugglers.
Responding to the allegations, the German Consulate General in Erbil told Rudaw on Tuesday it has a “zero-tolerance policy regarding corruption and other criminal activities at our diplomatic missions.”
Refugees who spoke to Der Spiegel said they had paid smugglers around $12,000 for help securing a visa, which allowed them to fly to Germany and claim asylum on arrival.
A confidential list of cases – seen by Der Spiegel – suggests the practice may have been widespread. The magazine said there could be at least two dozen incidents of possible manipulation which may have led to visas being illegally issued.
Short-staffing at the consulate allowed fraudulent applications to pass unnoticed, the magazine added.
“Firstly, there must be a declaration from a so-called ‘pledgee’ in Germany. He has to agree to cover all costs for the refugee in Germany in the coming years,” the magazine states, describing the process.
This pledgee can be easily falsified, it said.
“In addition, the application documents of the Syrian appear to falsify the so-called pre-approval, with which the competent foreigners’ authority in Germany already submits its consent to a visa before examining the petition in Erbil. Without this approval from Germany there is no visa,” said Der Spiegel, citing the example of one Syrian refugee – Rashed M.
The alleged perpetrators inside the consulate appear to have worked in tandem with a professional smuggling network and helpers in Germany itself.
The German Consulate General in Erbil said it became aware of the alleged abuses of its visa control system in December last year and took action to stop its misuse.
“In an immediate response to initial indications in December 2017, the Consulate General in Erbil adopted new procedures in order to exclude any misuse of the visa procedures,” the German Consulate in Erbil told Rudaw in a statement.
“Additionally, the German Federal Police was informed immediately. The German Foreign Office works closely with the responsible authorities in order to investigate the matter comprehensively. There is a zero-tolerance policy regarding corruption and other criminal activities at our diplomatic missions,” it said.
“The public prosecutor in Berlin is currently investigating the case. The German Foreign Office does not comment on the status of ongoing investigations.”
from Rudaw https://ift.tt/2KAzQRn
via Defense News
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