Germany Suspends All Humanitarian Visas — Including for Russians and Belarusians

Photo: www.bmi.bund.de

Germany’s Interior Ministry (BMI) has officially announced the suspension of all humanitarian admission procedures. These programs previously supported vulnerable refugees from Afghanistan, Syria, Russia, Belarus, and other countries.

Humanitarian Admissions Paused

Germany’s humanitarian programs were designed to protect individuals facing persecution based on political, gender, religious, or other grounds under sections 22 and 23 of the Residence Act (AufenthG). These legal frameworks enabled both individual fast-track admissions and broader federal initiatives for refugees from Afghanistan and Turkey.

From 2016, Germany admitted up to 3,000 stateless individuals and Syrians annually from Turkey. After the Taliban seized power, a fast-track relocation scheme for endangered Afghans was launched. By 2022, these included civil society activists, NGO workers, and journalists. Altogether, about 34,700 people benefited.

A separate program for Afghan “local staff” (2013–2021) covered employees of German agencies, NGOs, media, and academia. During the 2021 Kabul evacuation, the program was extended to judges and human rights defenders. It is now discontinued.

Regional initiatives in German federal states (Landesaufnahmeprogramme) are also halted. These included family reunifications and UNHCR relocations from Egypt, Lebanon, and Jordan. The Berlin-Lebanon program, for instance, has stopped due to “security uncertainties.”

Russia, Belarus, and Individual Cases

Special provisions under §22 AufenthG targeted individuals at exceptional risk — such as opposition activists from Russia, Belarus, or Iran. These were never “amnesties” and always evaluated case-by-case. Now, even these individualized fast-track visas are suspended, with no timeline for resumption.

Roughly 3,000 Russians obtained humanitarian visas since 2022 due to political persecution.

Positive News: Permit Renewals Extended

Germany now automatically extends humanitarian residence permits under §22.2 AufenthG for Russians, Belarusians, Afghans, and Iranians. The previous expiration date “bis 23.05.2025” has been replaced with “bis auf Weiteres” (until further notice). The renewal process no longer requires additional BMI approval.

For Russians under §22.2, requesting a new foreign passport from Russian consulates may be waived if the applicant faces criminal prosecution — especially for political reasons. This marks a critical recognition of ongoing risks under authoritarian regimes.

However, this automatic renewal currently applies only in Berlin.

Broader Trends: Restrictive Shifts

The suspension reflects a wider European trend: stricter immigration control, even for politically vulnerable populations. States are prioritizing security and bureaucratic control over individualized protection. Experts urge potential applicants to consider alternatives — study, work, or family reunification — unless strong evidence of persecution is present.