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Embassy staff suspected of taking bribes

Following the arrest of a German diplomat last month, prosecutors are now investigating other allegations that employees at numerous German embassies sold visas for bribes.

Published: 11 June 2011 10:58 CEST

Embassy staff suspected of taking bribes

Image source: DPA

A diplomat was arrested on May 21 on suspicion of selling visas for Germany to people from Afghanistan. The 40-year old had been head of Germany’s visa office in the Gulf state of Dubai.

Investigators are now also looking at some 20 different cases in embassies and consulates in 12 different countries, although they say that there is no indication yet that these cases are related to that of the diplomat.

According to Der Spiegel magazine, for the past four years the career diplomat had allegedly been issuing visas to Afghan citizens, based on fake documents provided by a company based in the Emirates. Dubai airport is an important transit stop for Afghans who want to travel to Europe.

The price for each visa was up to $3,000 in cash. The man was arrested while on leave in Berlin and his alleged client, an Afghan business man, was arrested in Hamburg.

The Berlin State Prosecutors Office has confirmed that they are now looking into 20 cases relating to the issuing of visas. The charges are bribery, corruption and human trafficking.

There are thought to have been irregularities at German diplomatic missions in 12 countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, Egypt, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan.

A spokesperson for the prosecutors said that there were dozens of suspects, most of whom were locally employed workers at German embassies and consulates.

The Local/DPA/smd

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Do you need permanent residency to apply for German citizenship?

If you’ve lived in Germany for a while, you may have already considered one day naturalising as German. If so, you’ve probably heard of the main requirements: having at least B1 German, completing a citizenship test and proving that you can support yourself and your family financially.

But did you know that you also need a certain type of residence permit to be eligible to apply?

When it comes to naturalisation, the rules around visas and residence permits can be confusing for foreigners, and many people assume that they won’t be able to obtain a German passport without first applying for permanent residence.

READ ALSO: What do I need to apply for German citizenship under the new law?

While this isn’t strictly true, there are some cases where your visa may disqualify you from citizenship (at least for now).

Here’s how to find out if you’re eligible for naturalisation in Germany on your current visa or residence permit.

What residence permits make you eligible for German citizenship?

According to German citizenship law, one of the criterion for naturalisation is that foreigners have “an unrestricted right of residence in Germany” at the time of applying.

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All of these groups are allowed to stay in Germany for an unlimited period of time without needing to renew their permits – though they can lose their residence rights if they are abroad for too long.

READ ALSO: How long can you leave Germany for without losing permanent residency?

But what about people who don’t have this kind of unrestricted residence right? Are they still able to apply for German citizenship?

In many cases, yes – but not always.

The law states that, as well as people with an unrestricted right of residence, foreigners can also apply for citizenship if they hold “an EU Blue Card or a time-limited residence permit which in terms of its purpose may also lead to permanent residence”.

Two Blue Cards for foreign skilled workers are on a table at the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees in Bavaria.

Two Blue Cards for foreign skilled workers are on a table at the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees in Bavaria. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Daniel Karmann

That excludes temporary visas such as student visas or visas for research or vocational training, but includes other forms of residence permit like an employment or skilled worker visa or a family reunification visa.

As mentioned, people with either time-restricted or unrestricted EU Blue Cards are also eligible to apply for citizenship.

How do I find out if I’m eligible for German citizenship?

If you’re unsure whether you are currently eligible to apply for German citizenship, there are several ways to check before submitting an application.

The simplest is to get in contact with your local immigration authority, which is usually responsible for handling citizenship applications in your city or municipality.

READ ALSO: When and how can I apply for German citizenship?

If the Ausländerbehörde doesn’t handle citizenship applications, they will at least be able to tell you who does.

Once you make contact with your local authority, you’ll generally be offered a telephone consultation with an advisor who will check your eligibility.

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