With the support of refugee rights group Pro Asyl, two families from South Sudan have successfully sued for their admission to Germany. They were among a group of refugees selected by the United Nations as particularly vulnerable.
Two families from South Sudan arrived at Leipzig-Halle Airport on Wednesday (December 17) after winning a legal case against Germany’s federal government. According to Pro Asyl, a total of 143 people landed on the flight, including other refugees affected by the case. The organization said it supported the two families in their lawsuit against the Interior Ministry.
The refugees were originally scheduled to arrive in May 2025 under Germany’s resettlement program. In total, 183 particularly vulnerable people from South Sudan, Somalia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Ethiopia were due to be transferred from one of the largest refugee camps in Kenya. They had already completed months of screening, selection procedures, and cultural orientation courses.
However, the Federal Ministry of the Interior halted the flight at the last minute. The pro-migrant organization Pro Asyl said the decision appeared aimed at setting political precedents ahead of a tougher asylum and migration policy.
In August this year, when discussion about the halting of the programs was raised in parliament, the German Interior Ministry said that halting the programs had been part of the coalition agreement between the conservative sister parties CDU / CSU and the social democrats SPD.
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Court orders entry
Following the cancellation, the two South Sudanese families filed a lawsuit with Pro Asyl’s support. On October 29, the Berlin-Brandenburg Higher Administrative Court ordered the Interior Ministry to allow the refugees to enter Germany. The ruling also applies to other refugees affected by the canceled flight.
According to Pro Asyl, the families had already completed months of screening, security checks, health examinations, and cultural orientation courses before the flight was canceled at the last minute in May 2025. "The short-notice cancellation of the resettlement flight was not only cold-hearted, but also unlawful," said Helen Rezene, co-executive director of Pro Asyl.
Myrsini Laaser, a lawyer representing the families, said the court made clear that families were entitled to rely on previously granted admission commitments, adding that a political change of course did not justify withdrawing them.
The case comes amid a rapidly worsening humanitarian crisis in Sudan, which continues to drive large-scale displacement both inside the country and beyond its borders.
According to the United Nations, nearly 14 million people have been displaced since fighting between Sudan’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) began in April 2023. More than 9.5 million people are internally displaced, while over 4.3 million have fled to neighboring countries.
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Fighting spreads across Kordofan and Darfur
Recent weeks have seen intensified fighting in Sudan’s Kordofan region. Nearly 2,000 civilians were displaced from the city of Heglig in West Kordofan after it was taken over by the RSF, forcing families to undertake a nine-day journey to reach safety in White Nile State.
In Darfur, the situation has become even more severe. In late October, RSF forces captured el-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, after an 18-month siege that cut residents off from food and medical supplies. More than 100,000 people fled the city, many reporting mass killings, kidnappings, and widespread sexual violence, according to survivors, the Qatar-based broadcaster Al Jazeera reported.
UN human rights chief Volker Turk has accused the RSF of committing serious crimes, while UN agencies warn that parts of Darfur are now experiencing famine conditions. Civilians fleeing el-Fasher have reportedly arrived in nearby towns in severely malnourished condition, particularly children.
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EU launches aid flights
As access for humanitarian organizations remains restricted, the European Union launched an "air bridge" in mid-December to deliver aid to Darfur. According to the European Commission, the operation will bring eight planeloads of humanitarian assistance worth 3.5 million euros, including food, water, shelter materials, and medical supplies.
Al Jazeera reported that the fall of el-Fasher marked a major escalation in an already catastrophic humanitarian situation, making aid delivery to the region even more difficult.
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Displaced pushed toward Libya and Europe
The conflict has also led to the numbers of displaced people heading for Libya, a key transit country for migrants trying to reach Europe. A recent UN report said more than 412,000 Sudanese refugees have arrived in Libya since the war began, with women and children making up the majority.
UNHCR estimates that between 100 and 150 Sudanese refugees continue to arrive in Libya every day, often via dangerous routes through Chad. Many face exploitation, detention, or lack of legal status, while some attempt onward crossings toward Europe.
Resettlement programs like the one at the center of the Pro Asyl lawsuit are designed to provide safe and legal pathways for particularly vulnerable refugees. Under the program, refugees are selected by UNHCR officials in countries of first asylum and transferred to third countries that grant legal, secure, and permanent protection.
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With dpa and epd