As Russkaya Germaniya notes, the conclusions drawn by UN officials turned out to be not particularly favorable for the German side. According to UNHCR staff, the line pursued by official Berlin to restrict refugees' freedom of choice of residence not only contradicts Germany's commitments, but also violates a number of international agreements. Under current legislation, those who have applied for asylum in the FRG or have even obtained it cannot choose a place of residence if they receive financial support from the state. The free movement of such people is usually limited to one federal state. The arguments of the German authorities in this case seem simple and rational enough. It is believed that otherwise the even distribution of financial burden across states and municipalities would be disrupted. After all, no one wants to live in economically weak areas of Germany with underdeveloped infrastructure, but there are plenty of people willing to move to wealthy Munich.
However, UNHCR representatives consider such statements by Berlin to be completely untenable. And the point here is not only the moral aspect. Although it turns out that people seeking a new homeland face unjustified difficulties, they are unable to be near their relatives and friends if they live in Germany. The main thing is that most of the social assistance for this category of people is paid from the federal treasury, and not from state budgets. This situation arose after the adoption of the new version of the law 'On Refugees,' and the German authorities, of course, cannot be unaware of this. However, no changes to the existing rules have occurred so far.
Last week, attention was again drawn to this abnormal situation, this time from the European Commission. Brussels officials presented an annual report on the situation of asylum seekers in the European Union, where they criticized the actions of the Federal Government in this area. In addition to demands for freedom of movement, the European Commission leveled a number of other complaints against Berlin.
Brussels believes that the German side infringes on the rights of refugees who are 'in need of special protection.' This refers to minors as well as victims of mental or physical violence. According to EU rules, such persons should be given an easier opportunity to obtain refugee status. This legislative provision, Brussels is convinced, is a 'central element' of the immigration policy of European countries. Besides Germany, similar problems arise in eight other EU states.
The European Commission is also dissatisfied with Germany's information policy. EU rules require refugees to receive full information about their rights and obligations in a language they understand and in an accessible form. However, Berlin has not yet transposed these instructions into national legislation. At the same time, Germany receives millions in subsidies from a special EU fund for these purposes every year.
Perhaps the only thing Berlin can still boast about is the adequate provision of food, clothing and housing for refugees. Problems here arise primarily in the newer EU states, as well as in the Netherlands. Countries such as France, Austria and Portugal, although they pay cash benefits to refugees, their amount often falls below the subsistence level.
It is clear that the German side, while expressing commitment to the principles of humanism in immigration policy, thinks primarily about the well-being of its own citizens. It is probably no coincidence that fewer and fewer migrants apply to the German authorities for refugee status. Last year, the number of people hoping to obtain this status was the lowest in 20 years. In the first half of 2007, only 8,500 people filed corresponding applications, which is 20% less than the same period the previous year.
It is noteworthy that the flow of emigrants from Russia seeking to obtain this coveted status in Germany is also declining. According to data from the German Federal Ministry of the Interior, Russia ranked fifth in terms of number of applicants, after Serbia, Iraq, Turkey and Vietnam. Almost half of the Russian citizens wishing to move to Germany are ethnic Chechens.
Vladimir GUSHCHIN.
Russkaya Germaniya