International Search for Family Members Family Reunification

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International Search for
Family Members
Samiras' Tale of Woe
Contact
Family Reunification
Support
The life of Samira* was changed forever by the conflict in her
native country Iraq. Her husband had already been abducted
twice for political reasons. After the third abduction Samira
German Red Cross Tracing Service situated nearby
received the message that her husband had been murdered.
This tragic event was the reason why she fled with her children
to Syria. From there she got to Germany within the framework
of a humanitarian refuge scheme.
Samira had never given up hope of her husband being still
alive. She put in a tracing request at the German Red Cross
Tracing Service to get new 'Information about her husband. In
actual fact a few months later she received good news relieving
Transregional
her anxieties to the effect that her husband was alive and staying
at Baghdad.
The German Red Cross Tracing Service supported the
wish expressed by Samira to have her family reunited in
Germany. However, this desire appeared doomed to be foiled
by seemingly insurmountable legal difficulties. Based on
profound legal consult the German Red Cross Tracing Service
recommended to Samira to apply for asylum in Germany. The
International Search, Red Cross-messages and Term
of Imprisonment Attestations
DRK-Suchdienst
Standort München
Chiemgaustraße 109
81549 München
Telefon: 089/68 07 73 -111
E-Mail: tracing@drk-suchdienst.de
asylum request was successful. It improved the legal Status of
Family Reunification
Samira decisively and allowed for her husband to be reunited
with his wife in Germany. The legal requirements concerning
DRK-Suchdienst
Standort Hamburg
Amandastraße 72-74
20357 Hamburg
Telefon: 040 / 4 32 02 -221
040/4 32 02 -176
E-Mail: familienzusammenfuehrung@drk-suchdienst.de
proof of knowledge of the German language as well as those
demanding proof of securing the livelihood were not applied.
A couple of weeks later Samira was able to receive her
husband at the airport at last.
* Name changed by editorial team
Further Information: www.drk-suchdienst.de
German Red Cross
Tracing Service
The German Red Cross forms part
of the International Red Cross and
Red Crescent Organization
Our Activities
How we are working
Searching for Family Members
Reuniting families
Information about us
You have lost contact with a relative and you do not
Your family was scattered over different countries as a
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know where he or she is living?
consequence of war, flight or expulsion? You want to
Service Network consisting of the
live with your family again?
International Committee of the Red Cross
We are searching world-wide for people who have
(ICRC) and 188 national Red Cross and
been separated from you or are missing because of
We give advice and we assist you with regard to all
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war
questions relating to family reunion.
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armed conflict
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catastrophes,
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expulsion and flight
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migration
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and we find out facts about their iives.
We are part of an International Tracing
Red Crescent Societies in total.
• In accordance with the principles of the
advice on legal requirements relevant to
International Red Cross and the
family reunion in Germany
Red Crescent our position is neutral,
we support visa applications
impartial and we do not consider ethnic
background or religious affiliation.
we arrange contact with other regional and
international aid organizations
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For many decades we have been arranging
cross-border family reunifications.
Messages to relatives
Additional Offer: Term of Imprisonment
Attestations
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knowledge, gained knowledge of legal
You cannot get into contact with your family?
requirements and established reliable contacts
The German authorities require you to present an
On a global basis we are sending so-called "Red
For many years we have acquired expert
with agencies, authorities and institutions.
attestation of an imprisonment abroad?
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affected by conflicts as well as catastrophes and their
We offer assistance on a world-wide basis when
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relatives in Germany. Those messages are often the
attestations of terms of imprisonment are needed.
it is only on your express wish that we Start
only chance for separated family members to stay in
If the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
cooperating with authorities in Germany
Cross-messages" concerning families living in regions
contact.
Your data and the data of the searched person
are treated on a strictly confidential basis.
visited you during a term of imprisonment abroad we
can try to obtain an attestation.
We are an independent aid Organization and
and abroad.
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Our services are for free.