ANADOLU/GETTY Refugee Hussein Abu Kashif says Angela Merkel invited migrants into Germany

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Hussein Abu Kashif, 21, was granted a residency permit for three years in February last year. Hussein fled his native Syria alongside his eight-year-old sister Hala and seven other relatives. The Syrian says Hala, who has been granted refugee status, could help bring the rest of the family, who are in a refugee camp in Turkey, over to Germany. The family now plan to take advantage of Germany’s family reunification scheme. On arrival in Germany refugees are given partial asylum status, known as subsidiary protection, from the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF).

We chose Germany because Germany said it wanted the refugees to come Hussein Abu Kashif

The partial status means they are safe from being deported and allows them to apply for family to join them two years later. Hussein said: "We chose Germany because Germany said it wanted the refugees to come. After all it is different to go somewhere you are invited instead of somewhere where you're maybe not wanted." The siblings took the Balkan route travelling from Syria to the Turkish port of Izmir to take tugboat to Greece. They then walked through Hungary to the German border in a one-month trip that cost around £1,600.

Healthcare was also a deciding factor when the family chose to leave their village near the city of Idlib to go to Germany. Hala has a birth defect on her left foot and the family say she will receive better treatment in Germany. To date, 14 members of the Abu Kashif family have arrived in Germany. Including spouses, 17 family members in Turkey are waiting for a travel permit. Plans are being made to bring the extended family over with relatives travelling with nieces and nephews rather than their own children in order to take advantage of Germany’s immigration rules.

GETTY On arrival in Germany refugees are given partial asylum status

Hussein’s brother-in-law Masen travelled with his niece. Now he can apply for his wife and three children to come over. In turn, his niece can apply for her parents and siblings to join her in Germany. Hussein’s sister Safa Abu Kashif, 14, hit the headlines when she met German Development Minister Gerd Mueller during his visit to the Turkish refugee camp. She pleaded with him to send her to Germany to be reunited with Hussein and Hala, with the minister arranging for the German embassy in Ankara to investigate.

GETTY German Development Minister Gerd Mueller met Hussein's sister

Hussein now lives in near Stade in Drochtersen and Hala attends the local school. He said: "I like the fact that in Germany all people are treated equally, that is different than in the Arab societies or in Turkey.” Once the remaining family members make the journey to Germany, the plan is for the family to base themselves in Buxtehude, which has a Muslim community. By the end of October 2014, almost 20 per cent of Germany’s Syrian asylum-seekers were given subsidiary protection because they were threatened with serious danger in their home country. German Chancellor Angela Merkel faced a backlash from migrants who have been given subsidiary protection rather than full refugee status.

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