Alliance90/The Greens and business associations criticize the draft on the Green Card presented by the Federal Minister for Employment, Walter Riester as being insufficiently practically oriented. Thereupon, the Federal Cancellor, Gerhard Schröder rejects the draft. According to a revised draft, foreign computerspecialists at first would be granted a five year work permit which could be either extended or altered into an unlimited work permit. Furthermore, the specialists would not need to remain with the same employer for the whole time of their stay in Germany. Close family members would be granted a work permit after two years already and, after proper application, the entry into Germany would be permitted more quickly than usual. Details on the recruitment of computer specialists will be laid down on May 2nd in Berlin. According to the Chancellory the Green Card will come into effect as of August 1st. Until the end of April, 1,400 enquiries were registered at the Central Employment Office. 202 enquiries were made by Bulgarians, 121 by Indians. According to a survey conducted by Forsa and covering 500 enterprises, 60% of the enterprises believe the Green Card to be suited to reduce the lack of computer specialists. 28% of the enterprises are in favor of the recruitment of specialists from other trades as well. In the course of the discussion on computer specialists, the CDU"s and CSU"s disapproval diminishes. At the same time, SPD and Alliance 90/The Greens agree to discuss an immigration law earlier than planned. After Easter break, the deputy leader of the SPD, Ludwig Stiegler will call a team comprising members of the SPD and Alliance 90/The Greens. The team should thoroughly dicuss the question of an immigration law and detach it from the discussion on the Green Card. The Interior Minister of Bayern, Edmund Stoiber (CSU) demands the abolition of the individual right to asylum. Alliance 90/The Greens object to this demand.
Spiegel 15 // Spiegel online 6.4.00 // Spiegel online 8.4.00 // Spiegel online 12.4.00 // Spiegel online 17.4.00 // Spiegel online 20.4.00 // Spiegel online 25.4.00 // taz 25.4.00 // Welt 25.4.00 // SZ 26.4.00 // Spiegel online 29.4.00

Administrative regulations on the reform of the naturalization procedure passed

The Bundesrat agrees to the administrative regulations on the reform of the naturalization procedure. The standard level for testing the language proficiency will be the "Certificate German". Handicaps shall be taken into account. The Länder are free to pose an inquiry to the Office for the Protection of the Constitution (Verfassungsschutz).
FAZ 8.4.00

EU-regulations on the reunification of family members proposed; European Parliament agrees to creation of "European Fund for Refugees"

The Commissioner of the EU, Antonio Vitorino presents a draft on the EU-wide standardization of the regulations for the reunification of non-European foreigners" families. According to the draft, non-Europeans would be entitled to be joined by their partners as well as their children after having held a residence permit for at least one year. At the moment, the waiting period in Germany is a matter of discretion and lasts up to eight years. While Alliance 90/The Greens welcome the more liberal regulation, the Minister of the Interior, Otto Schily, as well as the Ministers of the Interior of Spain, France, and Austria object to the proposal. At the time, 5.5 million non-European foreigners live in Germany. The CDU-delegate for Europe, Ewa Klamt estimates that, if the draft were realized, each year 500,000 persons would additionally enter Germany. It is assumed, that a descision will not be taken until the end of this year - when France holds the EU-presidency. The European Parliament agrees to form a European Fund for Refugees. Thus, a standardized system for the care for refugees and exiles as well as their admission and deportation should be created. This year, the fund will be furnished with 51 million DM.
SZ 12.4.00 // FOCUS 15.4.00// taz 19.4.00

New regulations on deportation procedure

After the death of a Sudanese during his deportation in May 1999, the Ministry of the Interior now brings a new regulation "on the repatriation of foreign citizens by aircraft" into force. According to the regulation, deportees may not be gagged, nor be given psychiatric drugs, nor be forced to put on a helmet by Officers of the Federal Boarder Guard. In the future, medication may only be conducted by physicians. If the life of a foreigner is endangered during the deportation, the Officers should give first aid or, if need be, should call off the deportation. At the destination, the deportees should be handed over to civil servants.
taz 31.3.00

Deportation to Kosovo

One-hundred representatives of the Bundestag, members of the SPD, CDU, FDP as well as Alliance 90/The Greens appeal to the leaders of the Länder to exempt endangered or traumatized persons or groups from being deported to the Balkans. They demand the conscientious examination of each individual case as well as the extension of tolerations. Especially, the disabled, the traumatized, elderly without relatives, adolescents who have grown up in Germany and are fairly well integrated and members of threatened ethnic minorities should be considered.
FR 22.4.00 // SZ 22.4.00

Ministry of Foreign Affairs withdraws six country reports from 1999

According to The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, descisions in an asylum procedure should not, for the time being, be based on the 1999 country reports of Eritrea, Albania, Tadschikistan, Macedonia, Sudan, and Sri Lanka. As the Ministry points out, in the meantime certain developments in these countries may have taken place which are not sufficiently considered in the country reports of 1999. The Berlin Administrative Court neglects these instruction in one case: basing it"s descision on the 1999 country report, a man from Sri Lanka is neither granted political asylum nor protection from deportation although he had indicated to have been tortured in his native country. The Court refuses to obtain information on the present situation as offered by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It furthermore rejects the proposal to invite an officer of the Foreign Office who could judge whether, in this particular case, the 1999 country report would still offer adequate information.
FR 22.4.00

Residence permit for spouses

The Bundesrat agrees to change the Foreign Law insofar, as to grant an independent residence permit to spouses of foreigners already after two years of marriage.
FR 8.4.00

Islamic religious instruction

After the Federal Administrative Court had granted the Islamic Federation Berlin the right to carry out Islamic religious instruction in Berlin, the Berlin Senate has, for many years, taken administrative as well as legal proceedings to prevent the institution of Islamic religious instruction. Now, these attempts have been dismissed. The Berlin Senate now considers to change the education act.
FAZ 11.4.00

Asylum statistics

5,004 persons applied for political asylum in Germany in April 2000. This is a decrease of 1,200 persons (19.3%) in the number of asylum seekers. Compared to April 1999, the number of persons applying for political asylum has fallen by 1,487 (22.9%). According to the Federal Minister of the Interior, Otto Schily this April is the month with the lowest number of asylum seekers since January 1998. The rate of approval in completed cases was 2.5% (200 persons). 6.7% (538 persons) were granted protection following the Geneva Conference for Refugees.
BMI Press Announcement 12.5.00

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