The papers were in order, the fees paid. But while Ayse’s parents received visas to visit relatives in Germany this year, Ayse’s own application was rejected.

“They decided to refuse my visa, saying it was not certain that I would return to Turkey,” said Ayse [not her real name].

Complaints to the embassy in Turkey and authorities in Berlin failed to reverse the decision, and Ayse became one of a growing number of Turkish citizens to be refused permission to enter Europe’s Schengen zone.

Over a quarter of a million Turkish citizens received Schengen visas in 2021, but while just four per cent of applications were turned down in 2014, by last year the rate had soared to nearly 20 per cent. And the cost is significant.