German gov’t supports bill to put Georgia on the safe country list
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The federal government of Germany has approved a bill initiated by the German Interior Ministry, which supports putting Georgia on the safe country list.
The bill now needs to be approved by German lawmakers to come into play.
German and Georgian officials believe that putting Georgia on the list will decrease the number of Georgian asylum seekers in Germany, as well as the illegal stay of Georgians in the country, which may create threats for the Georgia-EU visa waiver.
Being on the safe country list means that human rights are protected and no one is politically prosecuted in the countries included in the list.
Georgia is already regarded as a safe country by Austria, France, Belgium, Bulgaria, Island, Israel and Luxemburg.
German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer told Deutsche Welle that Germany intends to add Georgia and Armenia to the list of safe countries, which means that no one from those countries will receive asylum in Germany.According to the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees of Germany, 3,462 citizens of Georgia and 3,857 citizens of Armenia applied for asylum in Germany last year.
Germany is discussing the issue of listing Georgia in the category of safe countries, Georgia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced.
A visa liberalisation decision for Georgia will be taken in favour of the country in combination with a suspension mechanism, says German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Merkel and Georgia’s Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili met in Berlin this afternoon.
Today Georgia’s Prime Minister has met President of the German Bundestag (the national Parliament of Germany) Norbert Lammert in Germany.
German and Georgian officials believe that putting Georgia on the list will decrease the number of Georgian asylum seekers in Germany, as well as the illegal stay of Georgians in the country, which may create threats to the Georgia-EU visa waiver.
A Georgia-German business forum was held today in German city of Frankfurt, where Georgian Economy Minister Giorgi Kobulia delivered his speech and talked about German-Georgian relations.
The number of Georgian asylum seekers has been decreased in Germany by 26.5 per cent, officials figures read.
Nancy Faeser, the Federal Minister of the Interior and Community of Germany, on Monday arrived in Georgia with first official visit to the country.