A third group of Afghans approved for resettlement has flown from Pakistan to Germany, despite the German government's suspension of its program for vulnerable Afghans earlier this year. Many families remain stranded in Pakistan as legal challenges and aid groups continue efforts to secure their relocation.
A group of Afghans approved for resettlement has departed from Pakistan to Germany, marking a third time since the change of government in Germany in May this year.
The group was traveling on a commercial flight with a stopover in Istanbul before continuing on to Germany, the German Press Agency (dpa) reported, citing a journalist at Islamabad Airport.
Previous groups of Afghans accepted under German admission programs for particularly vulnerable individuals arrived in Hanover before being relocated to various parts of the country.
Germany’s Interior Ministry has repeatedly emphasized that all Afghans approved for entry undergo comprehensive screening and security checks prior to their arrival.
Vulnerable Afghans left stranded following empty promises
Many Afghan families have been stranded in Islamabad for extended periods, some for months, others for years, awaiting their chance to leave.
In May, Germany’s conservative-led coalition government suspended a resettlement program designed for especially vulnerable Afghans, such as human rights defenders and journalists. The suspended scheme also included former local employees of German institutions, their relatives, and other individuals at risk of persecution by the Taliban.
Despite the suspension, some Afghans continue to receive visas after successfully challenging their cases in German courts, often with support from the humanitarian organization Kabul Airlift.
Around 1,910 Afghans with approved admissions or official declarations of acceptance remain in Pakistan, according to German government sources. The figure includes about 220 former local staff members and their relatives, 60 people on a human rights protection list, 600 under a temporary bridging program, and approximately 1,030 under the broader federal admission scheme for Afghanistan.
In its coalition agreement, the German government vowed to phase out voluntary federal admission programs, such as those for Afghanistan, and not to introduce new ones in the future. However, a series of court cases have put pressure on it to begin admitting the Afghans who had already been approved for admission by Germany under the previous government.
With dpa