New border controls will not affect visa process for Turkish citizens: Germany

ISTANBUL

Newly implemented temporary border controls in Germany aim to ensure safe, orderly, and legal entry, and this process will continue normally for Turkish citizens, said Germany’s Embassy in Türkiye on Monday.

“The visa issuance process for Türkiye will continue as normal and will not be affected by this situation,” said the embassy on X.

The embassy said starting Monday, temporary border controls will be implemented in Germany for security and migration policy reasons. These controls will ensure that individuals without entry permits are not allowed to enter the country, it said.

It underlined that this measure is in compliance with EU law and has been communicated to the partners in the Schengen zone – an area that normally does not require visas within its borders – in advance.

The primary aim of the move is to ensure safe, orderly, and legal entry into Germany, it said.

Travel between borders will still be possible, and efforts will be made to ensure that waiting times are minimized, it said.

Germany, which boasts Europe’s largest economy, remains a top destination for irregular migrants and asylum seekers arriving in the EU. Last year, German authorities registered over 266,000 cases of illegal entry and residence. Many of the irregular migrants were asylum seekers from Syria and Afghanistan.

While most refugees enter Europe via Italy, Greece, or Bulgaria, many of them travel to Germany, where they expect more opportunities.

According to EU regulations, asylum seekers should apply for refugee status in the first European country they enter. Those who are granted asylum are supposed to be distributed across EU member states, but the system has been dysfunctional for years due to the reluctance of several member states to take in refugees.