© dpa
Last year, the Berlin hardship commission made it possible for rejected asylum seekers to obtain a residence permit after all in 189 cases.
This was announced by the Senate Interior Administration. Of 211 requests from the commission, Senator of the Interior Iris Spranger (SPD) took up the proposal in 189 cases (89.6 percent), so that the State Office for Immigration was able to grant the people a residence permit.
The six main countries of origin of those affected were Georgia, Turkey, Nigeria, Azerbaijan, Serbia and Armenia. In 2023, 90.5 percent of cases were decided positively, in 2022 it was 96 percent (2021: 76.7 percent; 2020: 72.4 percent). The Home Office did not disclose how many people are behind the cases mentioned. Last year, the Hardship Commission was notified of 283 cases involving a total of 435 people.
The hardship commission, which includes representatives from churches and welfare organizations, was established in 2005. It is the point of contact for people with a migration or refugee background who cannot obtain a residence permit in Berlin on any other legal basis. According to the Interior Administration, the commission deals with cases in which a termination of residence is imminent and there are urgent personal or humanitarian reasons.
Among other things, social and economic integration is taken into account in the assessment and each case is discussed and examined individually by the commission. If the senator accepts a hardship application, a residence permit can be issued. Spranger thanked the members of the commission for their work. "With their help, we can avoid undue hardship in the right of residence," she said.