Berlin’s Special Visa Program For Syrians, Afghans, & Iraqis Scrapped After Federal Intervention

Authored by Thomas Brooke via Remix News,

Berlin’s special state-level migration program that allowed Syrians, Afghans, and Iraqis to privately sponsor relatives has come to an abrupt end following a federal order by Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt.

In a letter to Berlin’s Finance Senator Stefan Evers, reported by Bild, Dobrindt made clear that the federal interior ministry “will not grant consent for new or for the extension of existing state reception programs.”

For over a year, Berlin’s coalition government had been divided over the program, which was introduced by the previous left-wing administration. The scheme enabled residents to bring close relatives to the city state, provided they personally covered the costs of health and long-term care insurance.

The SPD supports continuing the initiative, while the CDU remains firmly opposed.

Evers relayed the federal decision to Berlin’s Interior Senator Iris Spranger, stating that the program poses financial risks. Even when families cover the initial insurance, he warned, this “is not sufficient protection against additional costs for the state of Berlin.” He cited a lack of data and noted that after five years, the financial obligation ends, and taxpayers become responsible.

“Regardless of my department’s budgetary concerns, an extension of state admission orders can only be granted in agreement with the Federal Ministry of the Interior,” Evers wrote. With Dobrindt now firmly against it, any extension is off the table.

More than 4,000 people arrived in Berlin under the program. While the SPD approved an extension at its state party conference and both the Greens and the Left pushed for its continuation, the federal position is now decisive. A separate program for Lebanese nationals, active since 2001, was also halted last year due to security concerns.

The broader debate around family reunification has intensified across Germany. In December, the number of family reunification visas issued since 2015 surpassed 1 million. The AfD called for a full halt, with party member Martin Hess arguing that many new arrivals “will probably immigrate directly into our social systems.”

This is supported by the data.

Nearly half of Germany’s €17.68 billion in housing support for 2024 was paid out to foreigners, new government figures published last month revealed.

Last year, spending on German welfare, also known as “citizens’ money,” reached a record high of €46.7 billion, a massive 10 percent increase versus 2023, according to figures provided by the Federal Employment Agency.

As Remix News previously wrote, overall, 62.6 percent of all welfare recipients are migrants, and within the 15 to 25 age group, this number goes up to 71.3 percent.

In June, the Bundestag voted to suspend family reunification rights for migrants with “subsidiary protection” status — affecting around 380,000 people, primarily Syrians. The measure will last for two years.

Dobrindt hailed it as a “turning point” in Germany’s migration policy, aimed at easing pressure on housing, schools, and welfare, and deterring traffickers. He warned against the belief that “all you have to do is make it to Germany, then the whole family can follow suit.”

The AfD dismissed the move as political theater. Party spokesman Christian Wirth accused the government of ignoring “the complete overburdening of our country” and called the bill “a drop in the ocean.”

Co-leader Alice Weidel went further, calling the reunification pause “only a smokescreen,” and claimed that “ninety percent of the ‘refugees’ living in Germany can continue to bring their families with them.”

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