National Migration Authorities

For people planning to migrate from Turkey to Europe, or who want to work in the field of migration, it is important to know the main migration institutions in Germany, the Netherlands and Turkey, their areas of competence and how they work in practice. For migrants, the most concrete and decisive stage of the process lies with the national institutions that assess applications and take decisions.

1. Germany

Because of its federal structure, Germany has a multi-layered system of migration management organised at central, state and local level.

Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge (BAMF): BAMF, the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees, is at the centre of Germany’s migration and asylum system. It reports directly to the Federal Ministry of the Interior and plays a decisive role in areas such as examining and deciding asylum applications, granting refugee status, subsidiary protection or a national ban on deportation (Abschiebungsverbot), planning and supervising integration courses, coordinating language courses and integration programmes, and producing migration research and statistics.

For someone from Turkey applying for asylum in Germany, for example, BAMF is the most important institution. After initial registration, the application is assessed by BAMF officials in an interview, and this interview is the most important stage, deciding the fate of the case. BAMF also organises the participation of recognised refugees in German language courses and the integration programmes known as “Integrationskurs”.

Ausländerbehörde (Foreigners’ Authorities): BAMF decides on asylum, but issuing, extending or revoking a residence permit is usually the responsibility of the local Foreigners’ Authority. Found in almost every city or district, these offices handle official procedures such as issuing residence cards, family reunification, work permits and applications for extensions.

For someone coming from Turkey to Germany on a work visa, for example, the point of contact will usually be not BAMF but the Ausländerbehörde directly. Holders of the Blue Card, or people coming as skilled workers, are in much more frequent contact with this authority.

Federal Employment Agency and Other Actors: In work- and employment-based migration in particular, the Bundesagentur für Arbeit (Federal Employment Agency) plays a critical role in approving access to the labour market (checking that working conditions are comparable and, in some cases, carrying out a priority check, the Vorrangprüfung). At state level, social services offices and municipalities also play a role in housing allocation, social assistance and integration.

People interested in migrating to Germany should know which institutions they will deal with most for each type of application (work, study, family reunification, asylum), and that is precisely why the powers at both federal and local level need to be well understood when preparing a file.

2. The Netherlands

Compared with Germany as described above, the Netherlands has a more centralised and faster migration management system.

Immigratie- en Naturalisatiedienst (IND): At the centre of migration procedures in the Netherlands is the IND, the Immigration and Naturalisation Service.

This institution is responsible in particular for assessing residence permits, examining work and study visas, deciding on family reunification applications, assessing asylum applications and finalising citizenship applications. We can therefore say that for someone wishing to migrate from Turkey to the Netherlands, the IND is the key institution. Highly skilled migrant (kennismigrant) applications, start-up visas, family reunification and permanent residence, for example, are all examined by the IND.

Centraal Orgaan opvang asielzoekers (COA): COA is the agency that runs reception centres for asylum seekers. While their applications are being assessed, asylum seekers stay in centres (asylum seeker reception centres) operated by COA. COA’s main tasks include providing accommodation, offering basic social support, referring people to health care and education, and coordinating placement with municipalities.

Municipalities (Gemeenten): We can say that municipalities are quite active in the Dutch migration model. Housing allocation for refugees, management of the integration (inburgering) process, planning language courses and organising social assistance, in particular, fall within the responsibility of municipalities.

People interested in migrating to the Netherlands deal first with the IND, which also takes the decision; the long-term integration process, however, is handled with the municipality. Asylum applications are likewise decided by the IND, while the reception and accommodation of asylum seekers are handled by COA from day one. IND decisions are generally bound by set time standards, and the digital application system is highly developed.

3. Turkey

Unlike Germany and the Netherlands, Turkey is both a country of emigration and a country of immigration. Its institutional structure therefore serves a two-way function, as both a transit country and a destination country.

Presidency of Migration Management: The leading actor in migration management in Turkey is the Presidency of Migration Management, which operates through provincial directorates of migration management in all 81 provinces. Its main tasks include residence permit applications, international protection applications, temporary protection procedures, deportation and return procedures, and administrative oversight of foreigners.

For people wishing to go from Turkey to Europe, the Presidency of Migration Management plays an indirect role. Matters such as entry bans on foreigners, administrative detention orders and the travel status of people who have applied for international protection, for example, fall within its competence.

Diplomatic Missions and Consulates: For people wishing to go from Turkey to Germany or the Netherlands on a work or family reunification visa, the first application is usually made through the consulates of the country concerned (or through intermediary service providers such as iDATA or VFS Global). At this stage, procedures in Turkey and the domestic law of the destination country work together.

Everyone interested in migration should also know that not only official institutions but also support mechanisms on the ground and NGOs are of critical importance, as they provide help in areas such as legal advice, psychosocial support, language training and job-search guidance.

In conclusion, knowing how institutional competences are distributed, correctly identifying the decision-making authorities, developing a strategy according to the type of application, and building a network of contacts with public institutions and local actors are among the basic requirements of the migration process.