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GERMANY AND POLAND

Germany demands Poland clarify ‘serious’ visa scandal amid border fears

The European Union and Germany on Wednesday pressed the Polish government to clear up "serious" visa fraud allegations that could impact its neighbours in the bloc.

Published: 20 September 2023 13:28 CEST
Police cars patrol the Polish border.
Police cars patrol the Polish border. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Fabian Sommer

APolish media reports said a system for giving out Schengen visas to people from the Middle East and Africa in exchange for bribes was put in place through the Polish consulates and some external companies in the countries concerned.

Amid growing tensions within the EU over migration, German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser called her Polish counterpart Mariusz Kaminski Tuesday and her ministry asked Warsaw’s envoy to Berlin to appear over the issue, officials said.

During the talks, Berlin demanded that Warsaw provide “rapid and complete clarification” of the “serious” allegations.

The European Commission on Wednesday gave Warsaw two weeks to provide “clarifications” of the charges, calling the reports “very concerning”.

Berlin’s queries prompted an angry response from Kaminski, who rejected the “absurd” claims regarding the scope of the affair.

“Unfortunately, the German press latched onto the opposition’s completely absurd narrative regarding the scale of what we were dealing with,” Kaminski told Poland’s Radio Zet.

“I spoke to the German interior minister yesterday…I explained the actual scale.”

READ ALSO: Germany’s state leaders pile pressure on government ahead of refugee summit

Authorities in Warsaw say the scheme may have involved several hundred Polish work visas, while the Polish opposition says the real number could be around 250,000.

‘Century’s biggest scandal’

Poland’s secret service said last week that seven people had been detained in the scandal ahead of October 15th elections, in which the governing party is running on an anti-immigration platform.

Three of the seven are under arrest, according to the prosecutor’s office, which is leading an inquiry into the alleged racket for fraudulently obtaining visas.

Polish media have reported that the foreign ministry was involved in the scheme, which the opposition Civic Platform party has branded “the biggest scandal in Poland in the 21st century”.

Deputy Foreign Minister Piotr Wawrzyk resigned over the scandal last week, though the official reason for his departure was “absence of sufficient cooperation”.

German interior ministry spokesman Mehmet Ata later told reporters that Berlin was seeking information from Warsaw about how many visas were issued at what point in time and the nationality of the recipients.

He said Warsaw had briefed Berlin on the investigation without providing further details.

Germany’s federal police had already stepped up checks at the Polish border before the scandal erupted due to an increased influx of migrants into the Schengen free movement zone grouping more than two dozen European countries.

Poland’s governing Law and Justice (PiS) party has for years used anti-immigrant rhetoric, which was credited as one of the main reasons behind their victory in 2015 parliamentary elections.

READ ALSO: Why tensions are brewing in eastern Germany over refugee arrivals

Nongovernmental organisations have accused Warsaw of engaging in forceful pushbacks of migrants seeking to cross the border from Belarus illegally and refusing legitimate asylum claims.

Poland last year completed construction of a steel barrier along the border to dissuade would-be migrants and has deployed thousands of soldiers there.

Warsaw accused Minsk and Moscow of engineering the flow of migrants as a “hybrid” attack intended to destabilise the region — a charge Minsk denies.

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GERMAN CITIZENSHIP

How much do you need to earn to qualify for citizenship in Germany?

Applicants for German citizenship need to be able to support themselves financially, but it's often unclear what that means in practice. Here's how to work out if your income is high enough for citizenship.

Published: 15 May 2024 15:29 CEST
How much do you need to earn to qualify for citizenship in Germany?

Out of the requirements for qualifying for a German passport, supporting yourself financially is one of the most important – and one of the most confusing.

Many foreigners assume that the authorities have a magic number in mind and will often worry about whether their income is above or below this threshold.

In reality, though, the law is much more flexible. In section ten of the nationality law, it states that applicants must show that they “can support themselves and their dependent family members without claiming benefits under the Second or Twelfth Book of the Social Code.”

In other words, that your income is healthy enough to not rely on the state for things like long-term unemployment benefits.

According to Fabian Graske, an immigration lawyer at Migrando, around €1,500 gross per month for a single person is usually considered enough to live on. 

That said, there isn’t really a one-size-fits-all approach to this quesiton. 

When it comes to working out if your income is high enough, you’ll need to take into account a number of factors that your case worker at the naturalisation office will also weigh up. 

That’s why it’s important to ask yourself a number of questions that go beyond just how much you earn: 

How high are your living costs? 

In Germany, there are huge regional differences in the cost of living, so what someone can afford to live on varies hugely from place to place.

For example, someone living in pricey Munich is likely to need much more money for rent or their mortgage than a resident of much more affordable places like Halle or Leipzig, so you should consider whether what you earn is enough to offer a basic standard of living in the city or town you live in. 

READ ALSO: Requirements, costs and permits – 6 essential articles for German citizenship

It is worth mentioning, though, that what you actually pay for rent and bills matters more than the averages. If you’re lucky enough to find an apartment with unusually low rent in Berlin, for instance, you can probably get away with earning less money as well. 

Are you single or do you have a family?

If you’re single and have no children, you’ll likely get a lot more lenience from the authorities when it comes to having a lower-than-average income.

A family sit at a lake.

A family sit at a lake in Bavaria. Image by Eva Mospanova from Pixabay

Of course, if you have dependents such as kids or a spouse who doesn’t work (or both), you’ll need to ensure not only that your own living costs are taken care of, but also that your family can survive on your income alone.

That naturally means you’ll be expected to earn a certain amount more for each dependent child or adult.

On the plus side, any income your spouse does earn will be counted alongside your own, so if you’re the one who is supported by their partner, the authorities will also take this into account. 

Is your job stable or unstable?

One key thing to think about when applying for citizenship is the security of your work contract. Someone who has a long-term contract with an employer and has passed their probationary period will be in a much better position than someone who is still on a three-month trial, for example.

This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t submit a citizenship application after just starting a new job, but be aware that the authorities may well wait to process your application until you’ve passed the initial probation and have been put onto a longer-term contract. 

A similar rule of thumb applies to people who are currently claiming Arbeitslosengeld I (ALG I), or unemployment insurance. Though this doesn’t disqualify you from citizenship, it may delay your application until you can find a stable job. 

READ ALSO: Can I still get German citizenship after claiming benefits?

Do you need to rely on welfare payments to get by?

A key aspect of German naturalisation law is working out whether you’re likely to be a financial burden on the state by relying too much on the welfare system.

The entrance to the Jobcenter in Düsseldorf,

The entrance to the Jobcenter in Düsseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Oliver Berg

While everyone needs a helping hand from time to time, claiming benefits like long-term unemployment benefit (Bürgergeld) or housing benefit (Wohngeld) to top up your income sadly shuts you out of the naturalisation process and could also make it hard for you to qualify in the future. 

Luckily, this doesn’t apply to all types of state support – Kindergeld, ALG I and Bafög don’t count, for example – so seek advice from a lawyer or your local citizenship office if you’re unsure.

How old are you?

Though this is hard to fully quantify, age can sometimes play a role in assessments of your financial fitness in Germany.

A young person fresh out of university or vocational college may be seen as someone with high earning potential over the years, so in some cases the authorities may take a more relaxed approach to their current income.

In contrast, an older person coming to the end of their working life could be held to slightly stricter standards. 

This is also why it can be important to show that you have sufficient pension contributions or another form of security for the future, such as owning your own home or having lots of savings. 

READ ALSO: How can over 60s get German citizenship under the new nationality law?

What counts as ‘income’ under German law?

It’s important to note that income doesn’t just have to mean the salary you get at your job: income from rental properties, side hustles and freelance gigs can also be included, as well as things like alimony payments after divorce.

Once again, if you’re unsure, just ask. The citizenship offices are there to advise you and should give you clear instructions about what kind of documents count as proof of income in your application. 

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