More Afghans with an entry approval have arrived in Germany from Pakistan. It was the first time since Germany's change of government that Berlin has brought Afghans to the country through its federal admission program via charter flight. Other people who have been granted admission are still waiting in the Pakistani capital to leave for Germany.
At least 192 Afghans have arrived at Erfurt Airport on a charter flight from Islamabad, German media reported on Monday (December 2). A spokesperson for the Federal Ministry of the Interior said the Afghans were then taken to the Friedland border transit camp in Lower Saxony, from where they will later be distributed to the federal states. Additional individuals with admission approval are still waiting in the Pakistani capital for their departure to Germany.
In recent months, several Afghans have already been brought from Islamabad on regular scheduled flights. According to the Interior Ministry, 62 of them have so far accepted an offer to withdraw their applications in exchange for a cash payment.
Among those still hoping to leave are former local staff and their families, who worked for German institutions before the Taliban regained power over four years ago and now face serious risks in Afghanistan.
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Germany has until end of 2025 to complete admissions
Pakistan has officially given the German government only until the end of the year to complete the admission procedures. After that, deportation to Afghanistan is expected. However, Berlin assumes that with a corresponding commitment from Germany, it will still be possible to admit Afghans at the beginning of next year.
Germany's new government had temporarily halted the program for particularly vulnerable Afghan men and women in May. The program was intended not only for former local staff and their families but also for Afghans at risk of persecution by the Taliban, including those who previously worked as lawyers, journalists, or human rights activists.
Under Germany's previous SPD-Green-FDP coalition, several charter flights had been organized to bring Afghan refugees with admission promises to Germany. The decision of the current government to pause the program received public backlash, as many of those affected continue to live in precarious and unsafe conditions.
The flight marks an important first step toward restoring access to humanitarian protection in Germany. However, the number of Afghans still awaiting departure remains unclear, as does the exact distribution plan among Germany’s federal states.
With dpa