On 30 October 2025, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara on his first official trip outside the EU. The two leaders described Turkey as a “close partner” and announced the revival of a joint working group to speed up the return of Turkish nationals whose asylum claims have been rejected in Germany.
Migration dialogue: Germany hosts roughly three million people of Turkish origin and processed more than 18,000 new Turkish asylum applications in the first nine months of 2025. Under the new accord, Ankara will increase the issuance of laissez-passer documents within ten days of a German deportation order, while Berlin will fund additional charter flights and reinstate specialised liaison officers at Istanbul Airport. The Interior Ministry says the goal is to double monthly returns by mid-2026.
Skilled-worker channels: In parallel, labour ministers agreed to expand the “Qualified Professionals Agreement” signed in 2022. A pilot starting January 2026 will allow Turkiye-based engineers, IT specialists and nurses with recognised qualifications to obtain German EU Blue Cards in an expedited two-week process handled entirely at the German consulate in Izmir. Employers welcome the move as Germany faces a shortfall of 400,000 skilled workers annually.
Political context: Merz’s hard-line border policies at home have drawn criticism, but the Ankara visit underscores a dual strategy of tougher returns paired with legal pathways for talent. Turkey, for its part, seeks deeper customs-union ties and visa-free Schengen travel for its citizens; while those issues remain unresolved, Erdoğan called the new cooperation “a constructive step”.
Implications for mobility teams: Companies relocating Turkish staff to Germany should monitor the Izmir fast-track pilot and prepare documentation early; demand is expected to outstrip the initial 3,000-visa annual cap. Employers with Turkish assignees on expiring permits must also be alert to stricter overstay enforcement as removal capacity increases.
Migration dialogue: Germany hosts roughly three million people of Turkish origin and processed more than 18,000 new Turkish asylum applications in the first nine months of 2025. Under the new accord, Ankara will increase the issuance of laissez-passer documents within ten days of a German deportation order, while Berlin will fund additional charter flights and reinstate specialised liaison officers at Istanbul Airport. The Interior Ministry says the goal is to double monthly returns by mid-2026.
Skilled-worker channels: In parallel, labour ministers agreed to expand the “Qualified Professionals Agreement” signed in 2022. A pilot starting January 2026 will allow Turkiye-based engineers, IT specialists and nurses with recognised qualifications to obtain German EU Blue Cards in an expedited two-week process handled entirely at the German consulate in Izmir. Employers welcome the move as Germany faces a shortfall of 400,000 skilled workers annually.
Political context: Merz’s hard-line border policies at home have drawn criticism, but the Ankara visit underscores a dual strategy of tougher returns paired with legal pathways for talent. Turkey, for its part, seeks deeper customs-union ties and visa-free Schengen travel for its citizens; while those issues remain unresolved, Erdoğan called the new cooperation “a constructive step”.
Implications for mobility teams: Companies relocating Turkish staff to Germany should monitor the Izmir fast-track pilot and prepare documentation early; demand is expected to outstrip the initial 3,000-visa annual cap. Employers with Turkish assignees on expiring permits must also be alert to stricter overstay enforcement as removal capacity increases.
