Germany to Admit Hundreds of Stranded Afghans from Pakistan

Germany has announced plans to admit hundreds of Afghan nationals who remain stranded in Pakistan after receiving unfulfilled promises of asylum, German officials said on Thursday.

Berlin said it intends to allow entry for 535 Afghans who were previously approved under an asylum program launched by Germany’s former government but later suspended after Chancellor Friedrich Merz took office in May.

German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt told the RND media network that the government aims to process the cases as quickly as possible during December in order to enable the applicants to enter Germany. He added that Berlin is coordinating closely with Pakistani authorities, noting that a small number of cases may extend into the new year.

The Afghans affected by the program include individuals who worked with German forces in Afghanistan, as well as journalists, human rights activists, and others deemed at risk following the Taliban’s return to power in 2021. Many are accompanied by family members.

Pakistan has set the end of the year as a deadline for resolving the status of the Afghan applicants before initiating deportations, increasing pressure on German authorities to act swiftly.

Last week, Germany’s Interior Ministry said it had notified 650 Afghan applicants in Pakistan that their asylum requests had been rejected, citing a reassessment by the new government that granting them entry was no longer in Germany’s national interest. The ministry offered financial compensation to those willing to forgo their right to resettle in Germany, but by mid-November, only 62 individuals had accepted the offer.

Earlier this month, more than 250 human rights organizations in Germany, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, said around 1,800 Afghan asylum applicants remain stuck in Pakistan. The groups urged the German government to honor previous commitments and allow the Afghans to enter the country.