German Visa Affair 2005

The visa affair is the name given by the German press to the controversy that arose in early 2005 over a change in the procedure for issuing visas to foreign nationals seeking to enter Germany from non-EU, Eastern European states. The new visa policy put in place in 2000, it was claimed, dispensed with safeguards against abuses such as illegal immigration and human trafficking in favour of speeding up the issuing process for tourist visas. The affair prompted the resignation of the responsible Minister of State Ludger Volmer of the Green party from his roles in the Bundestag foreign affairs committee and as foreign affairs spokesperson of his party. The claims severely damaged the reputation of his party colleague, Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer. The allegation was that changes had been made to the previous tougher visa rules, without correct political procedure. Some commentators have suggested that the increase in the number of Ukrainians visiting Germany may have promoted a more positive view of Western Europe, assisting the Orange Revolution.