Between 27 November through 1 December 2017, Refugee Rights Turkey (RRT) held a study visit to Germany to explore issues related to family reunification procedures available to refugees in Turkey seeking to be reunified with separated family members in Germany. The initiative was jointly organized by RRT and German partner organization PRO ASYL, with the support of Heinrich Böll Foundation Turkey.
Over the course of the visit the RRT Delegation had a number of site visits as well as meetings with experts from a variety of refugee assistance actors in Frankfurt, Friedland and Berlin. In recent years RRT has been receiving an increasing number of inquiries and requests for assistance from such separated refugee family members, both Syrians and others, currently benefitting from international protection in Turkey but who are interested to pursue legal channels to be reunified with family members in EU countries such as Germany. The purpose of the study visit was to identify information and assistance gaps and needs on both ends of the family reunification process and ways to resolve practical and legal complications encountered by individuals seeking legal admission from Germany to Turkey under family reunification procedures.