Abstract
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Venezuelan asylum and refuge applications in Germany have been increasing, but for the first time in four years, deportations have occurred.
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Venezuela is the Latin American country with Germany’s most refugees and asylum seekers.
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The fear of deportation has increased among the Venezuelan refugee community in Germany.
Fear of Deportation in Germany: The Plight of Venezuelan Refugees
The number of asylum and refuge applications from Venezuelans in Germany has been on the rise. However, for the first time in four years, deportations have occurred, sparking fear among the Venezuelan refugee community in Germany. Could this be a turning point?
The Rising Number of Asylum Applications
According to the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees in Germany (BAMF), there have been over 1,500 asylum and refuge applications from Venezuelans in Germany this year. The majority of these applications are assigned to the federal state of Saxony, a phenomenon that has been growing since 2017. However, for the first time in four years, deportations have occurred.
The Fear of Deportation
In a joint statement last April, several associations supporting Venezuelan refugees in Germany, including Einheit für Venezuela, ProVenezuela Germany, and the Refugee Council of Saxony, denounced the deportations of two Venezuelan citizens in January and February of 2023. They also expressed concern about the increasing number of Venezuelan refugees in Germany.
The Struggle of Venezuelan Refugees
The majority of applications from Venezuelan migrants are related to political persecution. In 2023, 14 have been recognized on this argument. The other situation, as pointed out by Ligia Bolívar, a researcher at the Human Rights Center of the Andrés Bello Catholic University in Caracas, is due to a humanitarian emergency, of which 9 have been accepted, although this is more complex to verify.
Conclusion
The fear of deportation among Venezuelan refugees in Germany is growing as the number of asylum and refuge applications increases. As the situation in Venezuela continues to deteriorate, more Venezuelans are seeking refuge in Germany, only to face the fear of being sent back to the crisis they fled from.