By Michael Seifert
Refugees cannot use their identity documents to have money sent from abroad via Western Union. They can, however, transfer money abroad. This was the experience of Leyla (name changed by the editors), a Syrian woman, who reports: “My brother, who lives in Scandinavia, wanted to send me 250 euros via Western Union. I went to the post office in Tübingen and presented my blue refugee passport to identify myself. The woman at the counter told me I couldn’t get money with that passport.” Those were the new rules, she said.
The fact that one is allowed to travel with a blue refugee passport to more than 160 countries that have signed the Geneva Refugee Convention, but cannot identify oneself to a bank, is astonishing. tünews INTERNATIONAL therefore asked the Postbank press office in Bonn since Postbank handles the money transfer as a contractual partner of Western Union. According to this, the employee in Tübingen acted correctly, as this information shows: “Western Union has made clear specifications to Postbank as its contractual partner, which documents we are allowed to recognize for legitimation in the case of a payout. We are not allowed to accept the following documents: Certificate of residence permit, travel document for refugees in accordance with the London Agreement of 15.10.1946, provisionally issued identity card or passport.” For the legal background of these requirements, the press office refers to Western Union.
Their press office is done by an agency in Frankfurt, which sent the following statement from Western Union: “The list of documents we accept as sufficient proof of identification is determined in accordance with German federal and state regulations to ensure transaction security for both sender and recipient. We work with our partners to review the list of documents we accept as proof of identification based on the above principles.” A query as to whether there was any thought of changing the regulations in the near future was not confirmed.
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Hauptpostamt beim Bahnhof in Tübingen. Foto: tünews INTERNATIONAL / Mostafa Elyasian.
