Bavarian Minister Attacks Berlin's Visa Policy

Saying that Germany is too easy-going about handing out visas, Bavarian Interior Minister Günther Beckstein has sharply criticized German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer. "The foreign ministry is more and more turning into a security risk for Germany," Beckstein, a member of Bavaria's conservative Christian Social Union, told Berlin daily Die Welt. He urged Fischer to revoke a 2000 directive that advises visa officials to decide in favor of the applicant rather than turning people down. Beckstein also said he would rather have the interior ministry overseeing visa applications.