In an interview with pulitzer.de for a Deutschlandfunk report, father Daniel from the diocese of Kumbo explained the difficulties which led to the fact that up to the 8th of August only two of 14 people in his group had a visa to go to Germany. The delegation had been carefully selected from the youth of different parishes, and one most know that it costs one to two days of travel to got to Yaounde from Kumbo for visa applications.
The interview in full:
- What happened to the group from Kumbo that wanted to come to Germany??
There is a delegation of 14 persons which was approved by the bishop of Kumbo. And the first thing is that the delegation applied formally for visas to travel and we got visa interviews on the 18th, 19th and 20th of July. But by the time we effectively got down to Yaounde the procedure had changed, and we were then expected to go through the archbishop of Yaounde to get visa which were accepted by the embassy. Which we found very strange. As a matter of fact this has been part of the reason for all the confusion that is reigning as far as the process is concerned.
Did you get the visa in the end?
In the end only two persons of the whole group have been given visas. And so far only nine persons were able to deposit the complete files at the German embassy in Yaounde. Only nine
And the other seven have actually filed in for remonstration. And the first two files have been deposited at the embassy originally on Friday. ... This morning five other letters of remonstration have been deposited. And actually, what we did not know, was, normally the applications for remonstration are to be deposited along with a passport. So we are trying to ensure a passport for the remaining seven persons who have not deposited a letter of remonstration would be deposited at the German embassy at 8 a.m tomorrow morning.
What was the reason given by the German embassy to not issue visa to these people?
They indicated in their refusal letter that they are not obliged to give reasons. But I understand from history that they fear that the young people would disappear in Germany. And actually from what took place in Italy in the year 2000 when young people disappeared I would clearly sympathize with their situation. Because it is difficult to guarantee for young people to come back.
But our aim is very very different. Because the diocese of Kumbo has been sending people out to Germany and receiving visitors from Germany since 1987, and no cases have ever been registered of people who disappeared. Everybody who went out from the diocese of Kumbo came back to the diocese. To me it was very strange that this time around it was difficult to believe our story. But now the bishop of Kumbo has written to the ambassador trying to appeal for a reconsideration we hope it will be understood in the context of a diocese applying to go as a delegation to Germany.
What is the reaction of the young people who were denied the visa so far?
Very very disappointed. Actually I find a lot of difficulty trying to explain to them what exactly is happening. As a matter of fact so much money has been spent to a point where it is so difficult to guarantee that they will be happy and in the end they are refused the visas. And i think it will be very demoralizing for them to be refused the visas. Because we guarantee that they are all coming back, that's what we've done, guarantee. And I personally want to present them to the consulary general in Yaounde on return, if they are given the opportunity to travel. ... And that is our only prayer that they are given the reconsideration and they are able to travel sooner or later.
Because already we have booked flights for tomorrow, the 9th. Changing the flights would be rather expensive. And we are very sure that if we have this reconsideratian procedure through by tomorrow afternoon, I will be very happy to move straight to Duala for the flight.
And there is one thing I want to guarantee: That no young person from Kumbo has ever stayed back in Germany. And no young person from this delegation will stay back in Germany after the event.
That I can guarantee on behalf of the bishop of Kumbo.
....
The people from the embassy must understand that although we are from the same country we are from various backgrounds. As a matter of fact we are trying to associate ourselves as much as possible from the national delegation where I know the problem is. The problem is at the level of the national delegation, because as a nation in Cameroun we have two cultures. The predominant power of Cameroun is a french speaking power. And when it comes to the french person you got any garantuee if the french person is to live up to this commitment. For example it happened in the year 2000 that some people disappeared in Italy it was very clear that the disappearing was arranged back at home before the journey. Which is a very unfortunat action, and that action has to be condemned. Of course the unfortunate consequence of that action is that the other people are suffering. And I won't be surprised if the majority of the French people who live in Yaounde would be given visas to travel while those in the provinces who have made no problems in the past would be refused visa from travelling.
- There is talk that there was a list from the archbishop in Yaounde and that only church people and not ordinary people from the countryside would be allowed to go to Germany. Is that true?
Actually, that is very true. The archbishop of Yaounde was selected at the level of the embassy to assist them in the procedure . And it seems that up to now they are only accepting to give visa to priests and religious. Which is for me something that should not be. Because in our context the priest oder religious is actually selected to work for and with the young people. So it is unfortunate that they have received visa to work for the young people and leave the young people behind. It does not make sense. And of course the explanation is that they are giving the visa to the priests because they are shure they will come back.
If you look at the delegation from Kumbo for example out of the 14 people three of us are of the youth office and part of our obligation is to look over the activities of the rest of the young people. ... The archbishop of Yaounde did not take into consideration as well the organisation of each diocese in the country and what their plans have been. So the decision does not favor everybody, and it is unfortunate because each bishop is supposed to take his decision for his own diocese and to be able to stand by this decision. ... and to guarantee as much as possible that those who travel will be able to come back.
- The initiative to do so, does it come from the archishop of Yaounde or from the embassy?
It did come from an agreement between the two.
.... The consulate said when the visa application was given we were asked to come back when we shall be called. But we were never called. And the embassy did their jobs and sent the passports to the archbishop's house. The archbishop never called anybody until out of curiosity I phoned to them last Friday to be told that the passports were there. That is why our procedures to remonstration is taking us a bit too late. Because we did not have any information. We have hardly had any information since the process began, from Yaounde.
So we do not know who took the decisions. It will definitely an agreement between the embassy and the archbishop's house.
- Is there anything else you would like to say?
The German government should understand that there is a good number of goodwill people who want to be part of this occasion in Germany. They want to share the experience of the friendlyness of the German people. Their love, their kindness . They've been good to us and we wish to really be happy among them. ... We are to assure the German authorities and the Camerounian authorities that no person from the diocese of Kumbo shall disappear in between.
http://www.pulitzer.de/content/view/48/27/