1. Asylum-seekers and illegal immigration

3. One of Germany‘s Basic
Laws is the right of people
who suffer political
persecution to be given
political asylum. Until the
1980s , relatively few
refugees took advantage of
this provision but in the
second half of the decade
more and more refugees
from Iran and the Lebanon
and later from the former
Yugoslavia made their way
to Germany.

4. From 1986 to 1992 about 1.5 mio.
people sought refuge in Germany.
The number of asylum-seekers,
however, has decreased to no
more than 30,000 in the lastyears.
General hardship –such as
poverty, civil wars, natural
disasters or unemployment – has
been excluded from the reasons
justifying the granting of asylum.
Another reason for the lower
numbers of asylum seekers is the
fact that only 5 % of the
applicants were granted political
asylum and were thus protected
from deportation.

5. Only 25 % of them were given
temporarary protection (Duldung).
This policy has reduced the
number of asylum-seekers by
nearly two thirds in the last few
years
Germany applies the „safe third
country“ rule very strictly and
belongs to the country with the
most restrictive immigration laws.
The exclusion of civil war
refugees from asylum made it
increasingly difficult for those
needing protection to lodge an
asylum application in Germany.

6. If, despite the obstacles asylum-
seekers nevertheless manage to
make it to Germany, they face
further deterrents. This include
the rapid deportation proceedings
at German airports and the setting
of welfare support for asylum-
seekers to 30% below the
standard rate while at the same
time prohibiting them from
working.
In some cases families who have
been living in Germany for many
years were sent back back to their
home countries were there were
still facing persecution.

7. No wonder that many people
fleeing their homeland try to come
to Germany illegally.
Up to one million people are
estimated to be living illegally in
this country. These are people
who overstay their visas, visited
relatives and never returned or
asylum-seekers who go
underground after their
application has been rejected.
Without documents and
registration papers, most migrants
are cut off from even the most
basic of services such as health
care or education for their
children.

8. The main problem for many
illegals is a clause in the German
immigration law which makes it
compulsory for public institutions
such as schools and hospitals to
pass on information about illegal
immigrants to social service
offices.
Unlike countries like Great Britain,
German doesn‘t offer amnesties
to legalize their living conditions.
One phrase that illustrates the
situation in Germany is that „
illegals never use public transport
illegally“- in case they may be
caught ( and then sent home)

9. Reporter‘s File