The German government wants to temporarily relax visa restrictions for earthquake survivors in Turkey and Syria who have close family ties to Germany if they are homeless or injured.

“It is about helping in difficult times. We want Turkish or Syrian families in Germany to be able to bring close relatives from the disaster area,” German Interior Minister Nancy Feather tweeted late on Saturday.

“They can take shelter here and get medical attention,” she said. “With conventional visas that are issued quickly and valid for three months.”

However, not all requirements of the regular visa process are cancelled. Applicants must still be able to provide a valid passport, which is likely to be a barrier for people who have fled due to building collapses.

Several million people in Germany have Turkish roots because more than 60 years ago, West Germany received “guest workers” from Turkey and other countries to help the country move forward economically.

More recently, hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees arrived in Germany seeking protection from the brutal civil war in their homeland.

Turkish and Syrian immigrants in Germany collect aid, send donations and worry about their relatives back home. Calls for them to be allowed to take in close family members from the devastated areas have been mounting for days.

The German government said it would quickly ease its usually very strict and bureaucratic visa requirements, adding that the foreign ministry had already increased its staff in Turkey and redeployed capacity at visa application centres.

Earthquake victims who wish to seek asylum in Germany and wish to apply for a three-month visa must prove that they have close family members in Germany who have citizenship or permanent residence in Germany, German news agency dpa reported.

The host family member must submit a statement guaranteeing the payment of living expenses and the subsequent departure of the host family.

Source: Associated Press.