Summary
Germany updated its travel advice for the US after three German nationals were detained despite holding valid visas or entry waivers.
The Foreign Office clarified that holding a US visa or ESTA approval does not guarantee entry, as border authorities have the final say.
Recent detentions include a green card holder held at Boston airport and two others detained at the US-Mexico border.
Germany investigates whether these cases reflect a broader policy shift under Trump’s tighter immigration policies.
Not that they owe my country any favors or anything, but given their own history I would have hoped this German government agency could do something a little stronger than “this is not a travel warning, just reminding all you plebs to listen to border guards if you don’t want to be tortured”
It’s the proper procedure - they have a “ranking” how they proceeded with countries that behave like that. The US currently is not quite yet in the “travel warning” area but is getting closer and closer every day (which they, despite the usual secrecy of diplomacy, told the media multiple times).
Considering the huge ramifications a travel warning has, it’s reasonable to go step by step to gradually increase pressure, ideally together with European partners.
The formal travel warning is basically the biggest gun they have in their arsenal.
Amongst others that would mean:
Most travel insurance providers no longer would cover travellers. This is especially significant for business travel as then individual risk assessment need to be made. (I do the later…it’s not cheap). And companies can no longer require their staff to travel to the US. So huge “risk bonuses” would be required. Even more significant for public employees and the European army personnel currently training in the US.
Airlines would have to take additional insurance by their brokers to cover flights to and from the US. That can easily double prices for passengers and freight.
Current trade contracts will have larger insurance costs, industrial goods and equipment that requires maintenance will have issues,etc. This is not a one way street,though,as European staff cannot be trained in the US either. Same goes for science,etc.
It’s not an agency it’s the ministry of foreign affairs and right now they’re operating in maintenance mode as we don’t have a government proper, only a caretaker government until the Bundestag constitutes itself on the 25th where a new chancellor can be elected.
The change looks like it does because it’s the kind of change a ranking civil servant can do without checking in with their minister, it’s considered non-political.
That is important context, thank you. I still kind of think that taking an assertive stand against what the United States is doing to Germany citizens is the kind of clear call this minister probably ought to feel empowered to make, but on the other hand I have a deep appreciation for government workers who feel their obligations to upholding democratic systems, so this is a hard call to make I suppose.
I guess at this point it’s a matter of numbers: Cases do exist and are egregious (especially because the US somehow doesn’t understand that light 24/7 constitutes torture), but compared to the total number of Germans crossing the border it’s not even a drop in the bucket, they can’t say “The US has a policy of making your life hell” based on pure factual data because “isolated cases”.
So putting out a travel warning at this point would be Germany slapping the US across the face which, no matter how deserved or politically warranted or opportune, is not a thing mere civil servants are supposed to do.
Meanwhile, the outgoing minister is going to say “nah let my successor deal with that shitshow”. TBH Baerbock has been awfully quiet ever since the coalition broke. I guess she might actually have caught a case of civil servant fiddlesticks (An actual term in German, “whoever moves first loses”).