Germany will soon lift its months-long ban on allowing vulnerable Afghan nationals to enter the country, a foreign ministry official said on Tuesday. The move comes after growing legal pressure inside Germany and Pakistan’s push to deport Afghan refugees.
Around 2,000 Afghans, already approved for relocation to Germany because they are at risk under Taliban rule, have been stuck in Pakistan for months. Berlin froze the relocation programme earlier this year as part of its efforts to reduce migration.
“In Pakistan, people are at different stages of the departure process. Verification procedures are now restarting,” the foreign ministry official said. “German authorities are on the ground in Pakistan to resume admission procedures.”
Germany Forced to Act After Rights Groups Win Legal Cases
The decision follows several lawsuits by rights groups and Afghans against the suspension. The interior ministry, which had blocked the programme, said each case was being reviewed individually.
“Afghans who have binding court decisions requiring Germany to issue visas and allow entry will now be admitted, step by step,” a ministry spokesperson explained. These Afghans will still need to pass security checks and obtain exit permits from Pakistan before leaving.
Lawyer Matthias Lehnert, who represented some of the Afghans in court, said he had informed families about the decision and that they were “overjoyed.” However, he criticised the government. “These cases were only resolved through the courts. The government is doing the bare minimum,” he told Reuters.
Pakistan Plans Mass Deportations of Afghan Refugees
The situation has become urgent because Pakistan plans to expel Afghan refugees by September 1, including those waiting under Germany’s relocation scheme. Lehnert, who won four lawsuits, said the courts had confirmed that Afghans could depend on Berlin’s promises and faced serious danger if deported back to Afghanistan. “It’s scandalous that the government still drags its feet in other cases,” he said.
Aid group Kabul Luftbruecke confirmed that families with court rulings will be leaving Pakistan soon. “Some of them have been waiting for months, others for years,” said spokesperson Eva Beyer. She added that they will travel to Germany on commercial airlines rather than special charter flights.
Also Read: G20 Finance Chiefs Meet in Durban as Germany Calls for Deeper Global Ties in ‘Turbulent Times
