There are many myths and much false information about fingerprints in the asylum application process. For that reason, we have summarised the facts on how your fingerprints will be used – and why they are important in order to get help.

One common but incorrect myth is that asylum-seekers benefit from refusing to submit their fingerprints to the public authorities in EU member states. Often this false information comes together with the fake advice that it will be possible to remove your fingerprints after they are stored in European asylum-seeker databases, which essentially means that these fingerprints can be deleted. This is supposed to help avoid official registration. But if somebody tells you a story like this, we are sorry to say that it’s based on myth rather than facts. This Q & A will help you to get the facts right:

Do I benefit when I submit my fingerprints?

Fingerprints can be your door-opener for getting help. After your official registration, which includes being fingerprinted, you are entitled to German state assistance. This includes the “Asylbewerberleistungen” or asylum-seeker’s benefits, such as basic support.

Why are my fingerprints recorded?

Each refugee arriving in Europe has to register and apply for asylum in the country that they entered the territory of the European Union for the first time. All asylum-seekers have to have their fingerprints checked and recorded. That’s the core part of the Dublin Procedure that provides the basis for asylum rules in all European countries. According to this regulation, the EU member state where you were first fingerprinted is responsible for your asylum case.

In which situations do I have to allow my fingerprints to be recorded?

There are basically three different situations where officials from European Union member states have the right to ask you for your fingerprints:

1. Once your official application for asylum is handed in to the relevant authorities, recording fingerprints is mandatory for all applicants older than 14 years.
2. If you are stopped crossing the EU’s external border illegally, the border guards will ask you to have your fingerprints checked and recorded.
3. All individuals living in a member states of the European Union without legal permission will be asked to submit their fingerprints once they are in contact with local authorities.

Can I refuse to have my fingerprints recorded?

No, because all persons in one of the three situations mentioned above have the legal obligation to comply and have their fingerprints recorded.

What happens if I refuse to cooperate?

As recording your fingerprints is obligatory in the above-mentioned situations, the authorities will be able to enforce this identification process with appropriate legal means.

How long will my data be stored?

Once you transmit your official asylum application, your fingerprints will be stored for a maximum of 10 years in a centralised database named EURODAC. If your asylum application is successful, and if you are later granted citizenship in a separate application process, your data will be deleted from the asylum application database. Otherwise, your data will be stored in this centralised database for a maximum of 18 months or, in specific situations, not at all.

Will the German authorities know if your fingerprints have been recorded in another EU country such as Greece?

Yes, of course, but only in line with strict rules and regulations. European Union member states cooperate closely in the asylum application process. This includes the centralised storage of all fingerprints from asylum-seekers in a database named EURODAC. With this digital tool, fingerprints taken in Greece can be compared with fingerprints taken in Germany and vice versa. However, the German authorities will only make use of this right to check fingerprints in line with clearly defined rules. This includes: when an asylum-seeker files an application in Germany, the authorities are notified if this person has already applied for asylum in Greece. In this case, the asylum application process has to stop in order to clarify which country is responsible. Moreover, if somebody caught entering the European Union illegally applies for asylum in Germany, the German authorities will be notified via this digital database system.

Can fingerprints be deleted or removed?

Fingerprints can only be actively deleted from the specific central database once it is proven that they are incorrect or once it becomes clear that they have been stored illegitimately. If you intentionally manipulate your fingerprints or try to remove them, your asylum procedure can be stopped by the authorities.

Handbook Germany was established as an information platform for refugees and migrants newly arriving in Germany. The aim is to provide them with fact-checked information in their native language about what it means to start a new life in a different society. While Handbook Germany addresses the questions and concerns of those who are already in the country, migrants and refugees considering coming to Germany can receive the information they need at Rumours about Germany – Facts for Migrants and on the platform for skilled migration “Make it in Germany”. In recent years, the Handbook Germany information platform has become a highly respected social media community that empowers refugees and migrants living in Germany to take informed decisions in everyday life situations.

Migrants and refugees newly arriving in Germany face many often puzzling questions: who should I contact when I’m sick? How should I start looking for a job? Where can I learn German? Which institution will help me to find a school for my kids? These questions are a potential source of additional stress and uncertainty for those fleeing war, terror and political persecution.

The Handbook Germany information platform offers fact-checked information addressing such needs and concerns. “Understanding German society and its complexities is key in order to successfully start a new life without being dependent on others,” says Mosjkan Ehrari, editor-in-chief of the Handbook Germany website.

Facts and stories from trusted journalists

The information on the website is provided in the languages spoken by the biggest migrant and refugee communities in Germany, notably Arabic, Farsi, French, Pashto and Turkish, as well as German and English. “We want to be a reliable resource that helps people to avoid unnecessary mistakes that cause follow-up problems,” says Mosjkan Ehrari. The project was launched in spring 2017 in the aftermath of a major influx of refugees to Germany. Most new arrivals had smartphones and access to wifi, but they lacked credible resources in their own languages about day-to-day questions concerning life in Germany. A wild mixture of unproven, misleading or false information continues to be online to this day, especially on Facebook, says Mosjkan Ehrari. The editors at Handbook Germany have earned the respect and trust of their migrant communities due to their journalistic expertise, and also because most of the staff members have migrant backgrounds themselves. “Our staff has gone through the same steps to become integrated until finally feeling at home in German society,” says Mosjkan Ehrari.

Number-one uncertainty: the right to stay in Germany

The issues and concerns of refugees and migrants have evolved over time. Nowadays, users interacting with the editorial team at Handbook Germany are also interested in topics such as marriage and divorce, professional qualification programmes and what happens in the event that a relative requires professional care. Uncertainties about the right to stay in Germany and the many questions associated with this are among users’ most important concerns.

The Handbook Germany team currently consists of 12 members who work full time as well as a number of freelancers. It offers hand-picked content for its specific target groups. The multilingual information platform has gained in popularity and has expanded its reach constantly. Around 1.5 million visitors use the fact-checked content each year while some 190,000 users receive their news posts via Facebook on a regular basis. “With our target groups, Facebook is still the most important channel for getting fact-checked information directly to communities,” says Mosjkan Ehrari. The content sent out via Facebook then generates traffic on the website.

Both of the information platforms Rumours about Germany – Facts for Migrants and Handbook Germany aim to provide reliable information for migrants and refugees before they leave, during their journeys and after arriving in Germany. Mosjkan Ehrari has the following to say in this regard: “With these projects, more and more migrants and refugees will receive the trustworthy information they depend on.”

Refugees and their host communities are amongst the most vulnerable to the COVID-19 pandemic. A group of young refugees from different countries wanted to overcome the feeling of hopelessness. They started a campaign putting a spotlight on young refugees fighting actively against the pandemic. Many of these local heroes are current students and graduates of UNHCR’s higher education scholarship programme called DAFI. We took a closer look at the situation in Kenya.

South Sudanese youngster Adhieu counts herself amongst the lucky ones. This is particularly astonishing, as she had to flee her home country due to an ongoing civil war, and as she suffered the terrifying experiences of discrimination and stigmatisation that millions of refugees face. When Adhieu was forced to flee a couple of years ago, she ended up stuck in a refugee camp in South Sudan’s neighbouring country Kenya. What made her lucky after all, she says, was the fact that she got to know about DAFI [https://rumoursaboutgermany.info/facts/dafi-programme/]. With financial support mainly coming from Germany’s Federal Foreign Office, the UN Refugee Agency’s scholarship programme offers young students with refugee backgrounds the opportunity to study at universities and colleges in their country of asylum. Adhieu got accepted with the DAFI programme and was able to fulfil her dream: she studies Commerce at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology on the outskirts of Nairobi and is set to graduate in 2022. Before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, she offered training for women in entrepreneurial skills and was engaged in mentorships for young girls in the educational field.

Self-made face masks, soap and ventilators

With her local community severely hit by the global health crisis, Adhieu was quick to respond. She felt the duty to do her bit — that was how she described her motivation. Within days, the DAFI student produced more than 3000 face masks that were distributed in her refugee camp. “If there is a way you can help, you have to do it immediately, because there is never the right time to do so,” the young volunteer says. Adhieu then taught herself how to produce soap without any technical equipment and started to manufacture this essential, but in refugee camps scarce, hygiene product in large quantities. “If someone with a good heart could get us some basic machinery to produce more soap, that would not only help me but the entire community,” Adhieu adds. Not content with this, Adhieu inspired other refugee students from South Sudan to produce ventilators for potential COVID-19 patients. Based on very basic, easily acquired materials, they developed ventilator prototypes that perform essential tasks and could be sent to refugee camps, and also to her home country, South Sudan.

Putting a spotlight on local heroes fighting the health crisis

Members of UNHCR’s Global Youth Advisory Council (GYAC) as well as the student-led Tertiary Refugee Student Network (TRSN) have started to collect encouraging stories like Adhieu’s. The videos, pictures and quotes shared via social media are there to spread awareness of the positive contributions of refugee youth, but should also inspire others to take action (in a safe way and in line with health advice). The short online videos feature young refugees supporting health care workers, volunteering to inform and train others, or assisting the vulnerable and those at risk. They encourage viewers to further share the video, or create their own.

https://www.unhcr.org/stories.html

Follow: @UNHCR_GYAC @StudentRefugee

https://sites.google.com/view/trsn/home

DAFI graduate and Iraqi nurse Moheyman is working tirelessly to help Iranians and fellow refugees in the current COVID-19 crisis

“I wanted to make a difference…”

Moheyman Alkhatavi, 24, is an Iraqi refugee who works as a nurse in the in-patient ward of Taleghani Hospital in Abadan, a city in Khuzestan, the Islamic Republic of Iran’s most south-westerly province. Moheyman is part of a team of dedicated nurses working tirelessly on rotation to monitor some 50 new patients admitted to the hospital’s quarantine unit each week while they await their test results. He constantly checks his patients’ breathing and other symptoms, trying his best to secure the medicines they need to manage their pain. Moheyman was born in Ahwaz, Iran, after his father fled the city of Ammareh in the south-eastern Maysan Province of Iraq some forty years ago, due to insecurity. After finishing high school, he was able to pursue a university degree in nursing through UNHCR’s DAFI scholarship scheme, mainly funded by the German government. “I remember people telling me that, because I was a refugee, I shouldn’t dream to go to university and instead focus on learning an easier trade,” he says. “But I wanted to make a difference in people’s lives.”

https://www.unhcr.org/ph/18521-covid19-refugeenurse.html

DAFI graduate and Rwandan nurse Bahati is working night shifts in a hospital in Nairobi during her medical internship to support the Kenyan COVID-19 response

“I chose nursing because I want to be ready and helpful in times of need.”

Bahati Ernestine Hategekimana, 25, is studying nursing thanks to the DAFI scholarship she won in 2014. Born in Rwanda, she fled with her family to Kenya in 1996, where she completed her primary and secondary education. When she is not studying, Bahati volunteers with International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War and the Beyond Sciences Initiative. Bahati graduated in 2019 and since 2020 she has been employed by UNHCR Kenya on the National UN Volunteers scheme. She works on youth mobilisation. During her medical internship, she is working as a nurse in a hospital in Nairobi. Bahati is an active member of the Tertiary Refugee Student Network and contributes actively to their COVID-19 youth-led Communication Campaign.

https://www.unhcr.org/ph/18491-apr2020-enews-covid19refugees.html/bahati

DAFI graduate, Congolese Doctor Jonas works in a hospital in Rwanda supporting patients suffering from COVID-19 symptoms

“I come from a large, non-educated family. Seeing what education can do for families and communities is my biggest drive.”

“Dr Jonas”, 29, is how he is known across Kiziba, Rwanda’s oldest existing camp, nestled on top of a mountain overlooking Lake Kivu, where 17,000 refugees have been living in limbo since 1996. The camp was originally established to help cope with the influx of tens of thousands of refugees fleeing war in the neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). A DAFI student since 2012, Jonas was chosen from among 800 applicants and has proven worthy of the high expectations placed on him; he graduated in 2018 and started working as a medical doctor. He is the very first refugee graduate in medicine not only in Kiziba but in the whole of Rwanda. At present, he is working at Byumba District Hospital in Rwanda, fighting the COVID-19 pandemic as hard as he can. “We assess the potential COVID suspects, and if confirmed, prepare those patients for further treatment in special medical units,” Jonas says.

Irregular migration has become a major societal and economic problem in Western Africa. Journalists at West Africa Democracy Radio (WADR) noticed that many African youngsters leaving for Europe lacked the most basic information about where exactly they would go and what this would mean. The idea of using radio to inform those who are interested in migration was born. Germany’s Federal Foreign Office supported the effort right from the start.

Agnes Thomasi is convinced that radio can be a powerful tool in the fight against irregular migration. The station manager of West Africa Democracy Radio (WADR) has seen the effectiveness of storytelling over and over again. Too often, she says, the tragic end of a failed attempt to leave started with a rushed and thoughtless decision to go. Based on this experience the idea for the project “Let’s talk migration” was born. Germany’s Federal Foreign Office supported the project right from the beginning in 2018.

“They told us, when we arrive, people will help us.”

Young survivor from a capsizing vessel in the Mediterranean when asked why he set off on the dangerous journey.

WADR is a community radio broadcaster with correspondents in 12 West African countries. It’s headquartered in Dakar, Senegal. The programming produced in English and French is rebroadcast on a daily basis by partner radio stations all across West Africa – in particular in Ghana, the Niger, Mali, Gambia, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, Guinea and Nigeria. “We want to provide information that will help our people to be well-informed, because only then will you be able to make the right decision,” station manager Agnes Thomasi says.

Before starting the new programme, the journalists at WADR were fed up with the status quo. “We realised that we have been reporting on irregular migration and the capsizing and crashing of boots in the Mediterranean Sea over and over again,” Agnes Thomasi remembers. But counting the death toll forever was no longer an option.

Establishing a strong network of experts on irregular migration

So Thomasi and her staff developed the idea of establishing a community of well-informed media professionals who would share and distribute their knowledge. “Our goal is to build a strong network of reporters who are trained in irregular migration issues and who can themselves train others in their local communities.” The training modules for journalists were developed in close cooperation with specialists from the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

Much has been achieved already: a total of 70 journalists have been trained in migration-sensitive reporting. 80 radio shows on specific migration-related topics have been produced and distributed. The station aims to rebroadcast the radio shows across West Africa with dozens of local partner stations. With these multiple distribution channels at hand, WADR will have run the shows repeatedly around 1,500 times. There have been some personal success stories too: in Gambia, a local journalist who has gone through WADR training became a regionally acknowledged youth mentor. He even formed a youth organisation dedicated to supporting those who have returned home. In Mali, another WADR-trained journalist has won the Journalist of the Year Award for his migration reporting. The same happened in Gambia in 2019.

Throughout the project, journalists from WADR in Dakar kept in touch with local journalists from other community radio stations in remote places. Together they worked on scripts and prepared interviews. Additional work that pays off easily, Agnes Thomasi adds. “Once you work with the community radio stations that the people trust, you will be trusted too, because that’s where the people get their first-hand information about what is happening in their community.” Thus, this bottom-up approach helped to share the information that needed to be shared.

Fighting irregular migration in times
of a pandemic

With the continuous support of Germany’s Federal Foreign Office, the project will enter its third phase in summer 2020. Two earlier project rounds have been implemented in 2018 and 2019. But the effects of the global COVID-19 pandemic will also impact on the new project phase entitled “Let’s Talk Migration”. The radio station network aims to intensify its outreach activities on social media in order to extend and multiply the target groups reached. Not only potential migrants are to be provided with the information they need, but also migrants in transit who have been hit particularly hard by the pandemic and who do not have access to information in their native languages. WADR closely collaborates with partners and experts to share the facts they need during the pandemic. In 2020, WADR also plans to expand its network of currently 80 partner radio stations.

Families have suffered and are ready to discuss

For a long time, the topic of irregular migration was taboo. Myths and fake news went along with this. “Nowadays people are ready to discuss because a lot of families have been losing their children, mostly their sons,” Agnes Thomasi says.

Often the journalists from WADR are also asked about the regular ways of migrating to Europe and elsewhere. “The journalists will then have to explain that in order to get a visa for a European country, you will have to have the right documentation,” the WADR station manager explains.

“In order to fight irregular migration, we all have a role to play: governments, media, family members, parents and the young people themselves.”

Agnes E. J. Thomasi, station manager of West Africa Democracy Radio (WADR)

Cooperation across eight countries in Western Africa

Station manager Agnes Thomasi is convinced: “The need to curb irregular migration will go on for a long time, for one simple reason: unless we have a proper answer to the question why young Africans should stay in their home communities, the search for a better life will go on.”

At WADR, they are ready to take on this challenge and continue their mission to enable well-informed decisions. They have therefore expanded their journalistic cooperation across eight countries in Western Africa. But everyone will have to contribute, the station manager adds. “In order to fight irregular migration, we all have a role to play: governments, media, family members, parents and the young people themselves.”

 

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Would you like to come to Germany as a skilled worker? Find out more: https://rumoursaboutgermany.info/facts/six-ways-to-germany-for-skilled-workers-and-high-potentials/

Would you like to return to your country of origin? Find out more about your opportunities: https://rumoursaboutgermany.info/facts/how-to-make-your-new-start-work-new-website-online/

Are you from the Gambia? Find out more about German initiatives in your country:
https://rumoursaboutgermany.info/facts/tekki-fii/

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Are you a young refugee struggling to unlock your academic potential? You have basically no money to pay for higher education? Then you should get to know DAFI, the UNHCR’s higher education scholarship programme [https://www.unhcr.org/dafi-scholarships.html]. It’s a programme that literally changes lives!

DAFI is also known as the Albert Einstein German Academic Refugee Initiative. With support from the German Government and other bilateral and private partners, the UN Refugee Agency offers young refugees the opportunity to study at universities and colleges in over 50 countries of asylum.

Since the start of the programme in 1992, more than 18,000 refugee students have been able to kick-start their academic career thanks to this support programme.

In 2019 alone, the DAFI programme provided scholarships to over 8,200 students to cover a wide range of costs, from tuition fees and study materials to food, transport, housing and other allowances.

Germany’s Federal Foreign Office provided 16.25 million euros to the programme in 2019 and remains committed to funding it in the years to come.

DAFI scholars also receive additional support through close supervision and preparatory and language classes based on the students’ needs. Moreover, psychological support, mentoring and networking opportunities are an essential part of the benefits of the programme.

In 2019, most DAFI scholarships were provided to students in the following five countries:

1. Ethiopia
2. Turkey
3. Jordan
4. Kenya
5. Pakistan

The countries of origin of most DAFI students were Syria, Afghanistan, South Sudan, Somalia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Sudan.

Get more information

Are you a refugee looking for a scholarship? Please visit the Scholarship portal for more details. Follow UNHCR Education on facebook and twitter.

Which visa do I need for Germany?

I want to travel to Germany as a tourist, on business, for my studies, to work, or to join family members who live there.

Which visa should I apply for?
https://visa.diplo.de/visa-guide/de/#/vib

The first‑ever Global Refugee Forum (GRF) will be held in Geneva (Switzerland) on 17 and 18 December 2019. One year after the affirmation of the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR), the GRF provides a crucial opportunity to implement the goals set out therein. As co‑conveners, Germany, Ethiopia, Pakistan, Costa Rica and Turkey are building momentum together with the UN Refugee Agency UNHCR to strengthen the collective international response to refugee situations.

The goal of the Global Refugee Forum is to generate momentum towards implementing the Global Compact on Refugees and to achieve more equitable burden- and responsibility‑sharing for refugees and host countries.

#RefugeeForum: immediate response & long‑term solutions

Participants of the GRF are invited to act as co‑sponsors for the six thematic areas:

1. Burden-sharing
2. Education
3. Energy & infrastructure
4. Jobs & income
5. Shelter & capacity‑building
6. Sustainable solutions

Each thematic area will be featured in a high‑level dialogue, side events and spotlight sessions during the Forum.

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Germany is co‑convener of the Global Refugee Forum

In its role as co‑convener of the Global Refugee Forum, Germany is mobilising other countries to increase their engagement in refugee situations and in support of host communities. In addition, Germany is co‑sponsoring the thematic group on education, and it is leading the task‑team on tertiary education.

As part of its engagement, Germany is mobilising new supporters for the Albert Einstein German Academic Refugee Initiative (DAFI), UNHCR’s higher education scholarship programme. The DAFI programme has played a central role in enabling refugees worldwide to access higher education. The programme has grown considerably since its inception in 1992, having supported more than 15,500 students to attend universities and colleges in over 50 countries of asylum.

Germany – host country and important supporter of UNHCR

Germany is home to the fifth‑largest refugee population globally and is the second‑largest donor to UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency. This engagement in supporting and protecting refugees and their host communities is widely recognised and welcomed.

Key Facts

• 1st Global Refugee Forum:
  17/18 December 2019 in Geneva (Switzerland)
• Germany is, together with Ethiopia, Pakistan, Costa Rica and Turkey, co‑convener of the Global Refugee Forum. UNHCR and Switzerland are co‑hosting the Forum.
• Envisaged outcome: concrete pledges and contributions that will advance the objectives of the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR).
• The Global Refugee Forum will be held every four years to take stock and work towards implementing the Global Compact on Refugees.
• Every two years, senior officials from Member States will reconvene and track progress.
• On an annual basis, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees will present progress reports to the General Assembly.

Further Information:

German Government
https://www.bundesregierung.de/breg-de/themen/migration-und-integration
(in German)

Federal Foreign Office
https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/en/aussenpolitik/themen/migration
Twitter: @GermanyDiplo #RefugeeCompact #RefugeeForum

UNHCR
https://www.unhcr.org
https://www.unhcr.org/global-refugee-forum.html
https://www.unhcr.org/dach/de/was-wir-tun/globaler-pakt (in German)
https://www.unhcr.org/the-global-compact-on-refugees.html
Twitter: @refugees #RefugeeCompact #GCR #RefugeeForum

The International Organization for Migration’s mobile app, MigApp, offers reliable and practical information to help migrants make well-informed decisions during their journeys. The latest version of the digital platform keeps users updated on risks, visa issues, health care, rights and policies. The app also offers other services valuable to migrants. And it helps you to stay connected with other migrants. In short, MigApp is the convenient one-stop-shop to meet migrants’ needs.

When migrating to another country, it can be challenging to find reliable answers to important questions relating to such issues as visa regulations or where to find support in the country in question. Migrants often have many questions:

• What are the possible risks that I face?
• Which visa regulations apply?
• Where can I get help when I encounter health problems?
• Have there been any changes to rules and regulations recently?

MigApp provides a wide range of up-to-date information – all in one user-friendly app.

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5 popular MigApp features:

Doctor Translate
MigApp’s doctor-patient translator is designed to help you overcome language barriers during medical appointments. After selecting your preferred language (and that of the doctor), MigApp takes you through a step-by-step translation process based on typical doctor-patient conversations.

Global Incidents
Activate MigApp’s notification system to be notified about reported incidents (such as terrorism or health warnings) in your country of residence.

Money Transfer
MigApp’s Money Transfer feature compares the transfer fees and exchange rates of different remittance providers in real time, helping you to send more money home.

Travel, Visa & Health Regulations
Select your countries of departure and destination to get an accurate overview of travel requirements (including visa and health regulations).

Voluntary Return and Reintegration
Learn about IOM’s Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration (AVRR) programme.

What is AVRR?

AVRR refers to the administrative, logistical and financial support,
including reintegration assistance, provided for migrants who
volunteer to return to their countries of origin.

MigApp is available on iOS and Android.

Follow MigApp on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

From March 2020 onwards, skilled workers from non-EU countries will find it easier to come to work in Germany legally.

In a first step, interested candidates will, as a rule, have to obtain official recognition of their professional qualification based on standards set out by German authorities.

Individual procedures may differ slightly. This recognition process should be initiated in your country of origin – long before the visa application. 

6 options for qualified professionals from outside the European Union to enter Germany with an official visa. You must file your visa application at the German Consulate in your home country.

Here is what you should know before applying for a visa:

1) Entry for skilled workers with a vocational training background

You have successfully completed professional training that qualifies you as a skilled worker and you are interested in coming to work in Germany? Then you should start the process of obtaining official recognition of your professional qualification from the competent German authorities. Once you have a certificate of official recognition and a concrete job offer from a German employer in your field, you can apply for a visa.

2) Entry for ICT specialists without a formal qualification

Are you a specialist in information and communication technology? Can you prove that you have at least three years of work experience in this field, even if you did not obtain a formal degree? Do you have a concrete job offer in Germany in your field with a salary of at least 49,680 euros per year and sufficient German language skills (B1 level)? Then you have the chance to apply for a visa at the German Consulate in your home country.

3) Entry for academic and non-academic job-seekers

You have finished your professional training in your home country and would like to find a job in Germany? You are a university graduate searching for a skilled job? Once your degree or your vocational training certificate has been officially recognised by the German authorities, you can apply for a six-month temporary visa that will allow you to search for new opportunities in Germany. Suitable candidates must prove that their German language skills are adequate and that they have the financial means to support themselves.

https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/de/ReiseUndSicherheit/deutsche-auslandsvertretungen/03-webseitenav

4) Entry for high school graduates to search for vocational training

High school graduates under 25 years of age may come to Germany for up to six months in order to look for vocational training. Three main conditions apply: their graduation certificate allows them to study at a university, they speak German at an advanced level (B2 level) and they have the financial means to support themselves.

https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/de/ReiseUndSicherheit/deutsche-auslandsvertretungen/03-webseitenav

5) Entry for additional training and qualification in order to obtain full recognition of a professional qualification

In certain cases, it is now also possible to come to Germany without having obtained full recognition beforehand. If a German authority has informed you during the recognition procedure that you will need further training or qualification measures to obtain full recognition (“partial recognition”) and you have found a specific offer from an employer or a training facility for such additional qualifying measures, you can apply for a visa to complete the recognition procedure in Germany. While you follow the additional training measures, you will be allowed to take up a job in Germany under certain conditions, in a number of non-restricted fields.

6) Simplified entry modalities for health & nursery specialists

In particular, but not only, in the health and nursery sectors, the Federal Employment Agency is authorised to conclude agreements with the competent authorities of other countries. If you are a skilled worker in these fields you can benefit from simplified procedures for obtaining a visa to enter Germany and ask for recognition of your professional qualification once you are here.

Find out more:

For additional information about the new rules on the immigration of skilled workers to Germany, go to:
https://rumoursaboutgermany.info/facts/germany-opens-labour-market-for-skilled-workers-from-non-eu-countries/

www.make-it-in-germany.com offers the most important information for skilled workers interested in coming to Germany.

Information about the recognition of professional qualifications:
www.anerkennung-in-deutschland.de

Information about the recognition of graduation certificates:
www.anabin.kmk.org

Information about where to learn German:
The German Embassy in your home country offers plenty of information about where you can learn German in your country:
https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/de/ReiseUndSicherheit/deutsche-auslandsvertretungen/03-webseitenav

Only recently, Gambians have decided to opt for a democratic political system. Transition to democracy goes hand in hand with tremendous changes and challenges in nearly all spheres of life. Germany supports the Gambia as it tackles these challenges and seizes the opportunities that democracy offers:

1) More than rumours

The Gambia is a young democracy with a thriving media landscape. Gambian journalists are keen to inform their audience, so that Gambians can take decisions based on facts, not rumours. Germany supports West African Democracy Radio (WADR) as it works to educate journalists about one of the most important topics of our time: migration.

Find out more: https://www.wadr.org/home/index.php?p=programs-podcasts&lang=en&auth_=32

2) More than sports

Gambians love soccer – and so do Germans. In the Gambia, many kids hardly ever have access to a trainer or a proper playing field. Girls in particular seldom attend sports lessons. The German Government helps Gambian girls celebrate their enthusiasm for football, by ensuring that hundreds of them now receive regular football lessons. Sport empowers them to score goals on the field and off.

Find out more: https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/de/aussenpolitik/laender/gambia-node/sportfoerderung-fussball/2208294

3) More than a harbour

A working port opens up business opportunities for retailers of foreign and domestic goods. To help the country make the most of these opportunities, Germany supports the Gambian authorities’ efforts towards implementing international trade rules and enhancing its customs controls. This support, which is provided by the World Customs Organization (WCO), will make trading easier and faster and strengthen the economy as a whole.

Find out more: www.wcoomd.org/en/media/newsroom/2019/july

4) More than a good idea

Many Gambians have great business ideas, but lack knowledge and money to make these a reality. The Savings Banks Foundation for International Cooperation (Sparkassenstiftung), in cooperation with the Gambian National Association of Cooperative Credit Unions (NACCUG) and with funding support from the German Government, is offering interactive business training and coaching sessions for Gambian entrepreneurs. Through these classes, they learn how to develop a business plan and figure out where they can find the funding they need to kick-start their business.

Find out more: https://www.sparkassenstiftung.de/business-games/produkte/?L=498 

5) More than a mere return

Germany supports Gambians who would like to return to their home country voluntarily. Returnees have the possibility to participate in business courses before they leave. Once they are back in the Gambia, the voluntary returnees have the opportunity to attend a course of the Gambia Technical Training Institute in Mansa Konko. There, they are trained to become experts in solar technology installations, or they learn how to produce and repair agricultural equipment. Thus, they have a good chance of getting off to a successful new start back home.

Find out more: https://www.giz.de/en/worldwide/52739.html

or on: https://www.facebook.com/Gambia-Technical-Training-Institute-228376333845690/

Many migrants and refugees from the Horn of Africa plan to try their luck in Saudi Arabia or other Gulf countries. It is not true that these countries are easy to reach even though such rumours are very widespread.

The boat trip across the Bab-el-Mandeb is full of dangers and even if migrants and refugees make it to the opposite shore, they find themselves in a difficult situation once they have arrived in Yemen. The country is at civil war and migrants and refugees can be exposed to the conflict. Many are even imprisoned.