I had posted a while back that I applied for a visit visa to Germany. As I had feared, they refused to issue me a visa on the 3rd of July. The reason they zeroed in on was that I could not substantiate that I would return to the Philippines because of a lack of a) employment b) self-employment and c) real estate property. So never mind if the flights were fully paid, never mind that I bought insurance, never mind that I had a sponsor who had to get the documents proving that twice – all that was moot. Nevertheless, I applied for a remonstration. In my appeal letter, I wrote my reasons as to why I could not satisfy that particular requirement no. 9: a) I decided to not get a new work contract because this particular visit to Germany was personally important; b) I was employed for a long time in Indonesia, unmarried, have no kids, living in my parents’ house when in the Philippines and therefore there is no point to buying a house that will be empty for most of the year; c) said employment in Indonesia was way lucrative and secure than doing menial jobs in Europe as an illegal immigrant. I suggested that they look at my travel and employment history that I had indeed traveled for leisure before, and had never overstayed anywhere. But yeah, I guess, the bureaucrat’s job is made easier with very specific, objective rules, so one does not need to be understanding of another’s condition. If it doesn’t meet it, trash it. Fine.
Anyway, I would like to thank the German embassy in Manila for curtailing my right to travel and wasting a year of my time. I’d also like to thank them for very graciously shelving me as a Potential Illegal Immigrant. I wish I had met the definition of an illegal economic migrant – that would be so rad. But sadly, not all Filipinos salivate at the thought of working in Europe, illegal or not – I did apply for a school in Bonn after receiving the visa refusal. Their recruitment brochure was available online, and after taxes (which is a hefty 42% for single persons with no dependents) and paying for housing and bills, I’d earn comparatively more with a good school in Jakarta. Heck, my friend there earns more than what the published salary brackets are in Bonn, and that is after taxes and with housing provided for. Not to mention that the cost of living is lower and Indonesia is conveniently close to the Philippines, affording one to come home once or twice a year. Unfortunately, because I had decided last year not to work to experience life in Germany before deciding to settle there, I passed up applying for such schools in Jakarta. So thank you, Ralf. I owe you one.
Also, it is funny that Germans would just rent a flat instead of buying one – my own boyfriend scoffs at the fact that I am paying for a condominium unit and is actively convincing me to get rid of it and use the money elsewhere.
Anyway, my passports that I enclosed with my remonstration arrived today. As expected, visa denied with a final suggestion of a legal remedy of filing a complaint in Berlin. Right! Well, at least I didn’t have to pay the cost of getting my passports back to me, so that 60 euros was not entirely paid to make them look for a reason to unjustly racially profile me. Well, who should I blame, those Filipinos who went TNT and spoiled it for everyone else, or my own optimism and good faith that given my background, I would not be denied the right to travel where I want to be? Either way, this whole experience speaks of nothing but elitism. So only those who are rich, with property or both can travel. That’s how the world works, hun. Suck it up.
Nothing doing. 