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Visa scandal rattles Fischer

By Luke Harding

BERLIN, FEB. 15. The German Foreign Minister, Joschka Fischer, is faces a deepening scandal over claims that he allowed thousands of migrants into Germany from the former Soviet Union on dubious visas.

Mr. Fischer, the country's most popular politician, said he took ``personal responsibility'' for the ``possible mistakes'' made by his Ministry in what has been dubbed the ``visa affair.'' Thousands of Ukrainians are believed to have arrived in Germany after Mr. Fischer signed an edict in March 2000 instructing German embassies to hand out visas without carrying out basic checks. The Opposition conservatives claim that criminal gangs exploited the new law to bring women into the country to work as prostitutes. —

© Guardian Newspapers Limited 2004

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