Migration commissioner wants to extend admission program
Thuringia's migration commissioner Mirjam Kruppa is calling for an extension of the state's admission program for people from Afghanistan. This concerns the reunification of family members of people already living in Thuringia. The processing times at the embassies are still very long, Kruppa explained her request in Erfurt on Friday. The state program is currently due to expire at the end of 2023.
A week ago, the CDU had spoken out in the state parliament in favor of stopping the state's admission programs for people from Afghanistan and Syria. Their controversial motion - which also involved members of former Afghan local forces - did not receive a majority in parliament.
Kruppa explained that Thuringia had issued the "State Reception Order for Afghanistan" around a year ago. In the meantime, the first family members have arrived. Afghans living in Thuringia can bring close family members from Afghanistan or neighboring refugee countries to Thuringia if they submit a declaration of commitment to cover their living expenses. Health insurance is excluded.
"It's very difficult to obtain the necessary papers while living under constant threat in a country marked by war and crisis," says Kruppa. Due to the high requirements, only a few Afghans are able to bring their family members to Thuringia in this way. Around 40 such procedures are currently underway in Thuringia.
The CDU had justified the halt to the program by claiming that it would relieve the burden on local authorities, which are often at their limits when it comes to taking in refugees.
Given the current long processing times at embassies and the approaching expiration of Thuringia's admission program for family reunification of Afghans, there's a need for its extension. This extension could help alleviate the difficulties faced by many Afghans in obtaining necessary papers due to the ongoing conflict and crisis in their country.
Source: www.dpa.com
