Baerbock in sight: Visa scandal shakes Foreign Ministry!

Baerbock in sight: Visa scandal shakes Foreign Ministry!

The visa affair in the Foreign Office under the leadership of Annalena Baerbock is causing quite a stir! There is a lot of simmering in the inner circles of German diplomacy. The accusation: Visas are said to have been issued even though the applicants presented fake or invalid passports. One story from the German embassy in Islamabad and Addis Ababa is particularly explosive. A young Afghan was supposed to be granted a visa there, even though there was clear evidence of a fake passport. Loud Mercury, this is not an isolated case!

The investigations by the public prosecutor's office in Berlin and Cottbus are directed against high officials of the Foreign Office who are said to have used their power to approve visas despite forged documents. The events at the embassy in Addis Ababa in particular are causing emotions to heat up. Five Ethiopian students were granted visas here, although embassy staff were skeptical and feared that the applicants might apply for asylum during their stay in Germany. These concerns were not unfounded: a 24-year-old Ethiopian student actually took the opportunity to stay in Germany.

A ministry under attack

There is discontent in the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees about the antics of colleagues from the Foreign Office. People are “quite annoyed” there because the Bamf ultimately has to examine the asylum applications independently, regardless of how the applicants came into the country. The Union's domestic policy spokesman, Alexander Throm, sharply criticized: Baerbock was sacrificing security at the altar of her political agenda, ZDF reported in August.

Security vulnerabilities or political intentions?

The think tank “Afghanistan Analyst Network” has also expressed criticism of the ministry’s actions, but from a different perspective. Thomas Ruttig complains about the high hurdles that have been set for Afghan helpers, despite promises from the German government to the contrary. Meanwhile, the Foreign Ministry defends itself by pointing to a “series of security loops” in the visa process, which, if ignored, have consequences.

Riddle about a directive

How Focus Online reported that an official from the Baerbock Ministry had put pressure on the embassy in Addis Ababa with formal instructions to ensure the entry of the Ethiopian group. This decision has far-reaching consequences, as the criticism expressed about “perversion of justice” by officials could have unprecedented consequences for diplomatic relations and future visa issuance.

It remains to be seen how this situation will develop and what steps the Baerbock Ministry will take to clarify the allegations and regain lost trustworthiness.