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#ForeignersAuthoritiesQuartet: How much truth is there to the quartet?
- Mirko Vorreuter, LL.B.
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
The "Immigration Office Quartet" contains numerous cards, categories, and humorous descriptions —but which of these correspond to actual conditions in the German migration administration and which are pure satire? This article explains which elements are based on true observations, which are exaggerated, and where personal experiences of lawyers have been incorporated.
General bureaucracy jokes: Fax machines, printers and official logic
The game initially features general bureaucracy jokes that play on classic clichés of German administration. These include references to fax machines, printed emails, and an overall analog bureaucratic culture. These jokes are deliberately exaggerated and primarily serve to humorously depict familiar bureaucratic routines. Nevertheless, many of the bureaucracy jokes also contain a grain of truth. In many government agencies, emails are indeed printed out to ensure proper record-keeping, and foreign missions are usually reachable by fax.
Technical jokes for insiders
In addition, there are technical jokes, primarily accessible to those familiar with immigration law . Examples include the remark that the Federal Ministry of the Interior (BMI) considers a temporary suspension of deportation (Duldung) to be a residence permit, or the reference to special appointments in cases requiring prior approval . Some cards also contain insider humor, such as the allusion to the Federal Administrative Court's library being inaccessible to the public, even though it houses one of the largest and most important collections of administrative law in Germany. This can certainly be interpreted as criticism , as it is paradoxical that a public court would not make public resources available to the public.
Real facts about government agencies
Many statements in the card game are indeed based on facts . The State Office for Immigration is indeed the largest immigration authority in Germany, and the Berlin Administrative Court is responsible nationwide for all visa matters according to Section 52 No. 2 of the German Code of Administrative Procedure . The reference to the Foreign Office's preferential treatment of Ukrainians over other refugees (e.g., Syrians, Afghans, and Palestinians) also reflects a widely observed trend.
Likewise, numerous other maps reflect real circumstances : In 2015, the BAMF (Federal Office for Migration and Refugees) paid McKinsey around 50 million euros for IT modernization, the Consulate General in Istanbul has a particularly extensive digital collection of information sheets, Western diplomatic missions such as those in London, New York, and Los Angeles are indeed considered particularly competent and fast, the Stuttgart immigration office actually has 1.6 Google stars, and the Frankfurt immigration office temporarily recorded 15,000 to 20,000 unread emails .
Personal experiences of lawyers
Furthermore, the quartet incorporates many real-world experiences from lawyers . The Federal Police Directorate at Frankfurt Airport is, in practice, easily accessible and communicative. The Magdeburg Immigration Office only accepts email attachments up to a maximum of 1 MB, which is also common with other authorities. At the embassy in Islamabad, waiting times of one to two years for family reunification are the norm, as they are at the embassy in Tehran. The Frontex map refers to the extensive allegations of human rights violations by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency .
The game's attribute points also have a degree of truth or experiential basis. Some authorities, such as the Berlin State Office for Immigration, are indeed considered particularly benevolent or pragmatic. However, many points are based on subjective experiences gathered from only 20 to 30 lawyers and are therefore not representative . In some cases, the values were also deliberately adjusted to make the game more playful and balanced.
Conclusion: Truthfulness and opinions on the immigration authorities quartet
Overall, the "Immigration Office Quartet" combines humor, expert insights, and actual experience in migration law. This mix not only makes the game entertaining but also conveys a surprisingly realistic picture of the German migration administration.
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