German Interior Ministry: Refugees Who Travel to Their Home Country Will Have Their Residence Revoked
Migrants in Germany who travel to their home country even for a brief visit may lose their refugee rights upon return, as the reason for seeking asylum and the right to protection becomes invalid in this case.
According to asylum law, if an asylum applicant travels to a country where they face persecution during the review of their application, their asylum request in Germany will become invalid.
Johannes Dimroth, spokesperson for the Federal German Interior Ministry, stated this on Friday in Berlin. He said that such travel would have very significant consequences for the person in question.
The German Interior Ministry spokesperson explained that this is understandable because in this case, the refugee’s claim of being persecuted loses its validity and authenticity. If they voluntarily visit their home country, for example to spend their vacation, they will no longer be protected in Germany.
Johannes Dimroth added that for those who have been accepted here as migrants or refugees, in individual cases it is also possible that a positive decision regarding their residence may be withdrawn or declared invalid, and as a result they may lose their refugee rights.
The newspapers “Heilbronner Stimme” and “Mannheimer Morgen” reported on Thursday that these statements were made because in the state of Baden-Württemberg, approximately 100 migrants have been registered who reportedly traveled to their home countries several times since 2014 and returned, yet retained their refugee rights as asylum applicants.
Meanwhile, Idain Oezoguz, the Federal Government’s Integration Commissioner, expressed some understanding of such travels, telling the Funke media group newspaper: “There may be important reasons for an accepted refugee to travel to their homeland for a short period.”
As a possible exceptional case, for example, the death of a refugee’s close relatives would be considered valid in this regard.
It is not precisely clear to the German Interior Ministry how many migrants have undertaken such temporary trips from Germany to their home countries. However, Dimroth, spokesperson for the Federal German Interior Ministry, explained that the states collect figures in this regard, but specific cases in this connection are well documented.
Source: Panah
