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Subsidiary Protection

GermanyHumanitarian protection

Explore the five recorded questions, answers and sources for this pathway.

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What exactly is this: asylum, temporary protection, humanitarian admission, resettlement or another protection mechanism?

A form of international protection decided in the asylum procedure; it applies when neither refugee protection nor asylum entitlement can be granted and serious harm threatens in the country of origin.

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Which population, circumstances or geographic group does the mechanism cover?

People who show substantial grounds that they face serious harm in their country of origin (death penalty, torture or inhuman/degrading treatment, or serious individual threat to a civilian from indiscriminate violence in armed conflict) and cannot or, due to the threat, will not seek that country's protection.

See recorded sources

Where can protection be requested, and is this a direct application, border/in-country request, referral or other process?

In Germany, through an asylum application: any recognisable expression of the wish for protection counts (the term 'subsidiary protection' need not be used). It can be made to the border authority, police, foreigners authority, a reception centre or an asylum authority.

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What happens after the request: registration, family handling, major support and rights where officially stated?

A person seeking subsidiary protection makes a personal, informal expression of the wish for asylum/international protection after arrival to a border authority, police, foreigners authority, reception centre or asylum authority. BAMF says this triggers reception guarantees and procedural rights, with support such as accommodation, medical care and food, alongside duties to cooperate; the person is informed where and how to file and about free legal information. If subsidiary protection is granted, BAMF states the residence permit runs for three years and is renewable in further three-year periods, permits unrestricted employment, and may lead to settlement after five years if further conditions are met. Under current Residence Act §104(14), family reunion under §36a to this subsidiary-protection sponsor is not granted through 23 July 2027; exceptional admission under §§22–23 remains possible.

See recorded sources

Which competent authority, UN body or official assistance channel should the person use?

The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) is the competent authority for asylum law; applicants are informed where and how to file and of their right to free legal information.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • No official fraud/scam warning was found.

These are the answers currently recorded in the catalogue. A missing or partial answer is not an eligibility decision.

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