The German law that permits migrants holding limited stay permits to apply for residence under facilitated rules has had a positive impact, with a survey revealing that thousands of people applied under German residence law in the last six months.
According to a survey by Integration Media Service, at least 49,000 migrants have submitted an application for a new residence permit since December 31, 2022, when the Opportunity Right of Residency law came into force, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.
Nonetheless, while the number of applications has been high, data show that only 17,000 of the applications have been approved, and another 2,100 of them have been rejected.
Thousands more applications are still being processed. However, it is taking longer for the authorities to issue a decision due to the high workload.
As Info Migrant explains, the government of Germany estimated that about 98,000 migrants would apply under the act for a residence permit. The same also predicted that about 33,000 migrants would be granted permanent residence through the new measures.
The Opportunity Right of Residency law gives foreigners who hold temporary tolerated stay permits, “Duldug”, and who entered Germany before October 31, 2017, the opportunity to get a form of a residence permit that is valid for a period of 18 months to fulfil the requirement for permanent residence.
During this period, everyone holding Duldung is granted legal status, and they can also access the labour market.
Once the 18-month period is over, those who are financially independent, provide proof of identity card, and have basic knowledge of German can receive permanent residence. However, the application must be made before the 18-month period ends, as the Chancen-Aufenthaltsrecht cannot be extended.
Info Migrant explains that foreigners who committed a crime in Germany as well as those who have repeatedly lied to the authorities about their identity, are not eligible for residency.
The same reveals that at the end of last year, around 248,000 people in Germany had “Duldung” status.
Data provided by the German government show that of the total number of people who had a “Duldung” at the end of 2022, about 137,000 of them had been living in the country for five years.
Nonetheless, the number of applications has been the same throughout Germany. The survey showed that the highest number of those applying for permits were registered in Berlin and Bavaria, with about 58 per cent of those eligible.
On the other hand, North Rhine-Westphalia registered a low number, with only one-third applying for permits.
Source : Schengenvisainfo