Germany’s Decision to Block Afghan Migrants Sparks Outrage and Despair

The decision of the German federal government to bar the entry of several Afghan women and men who had previously received acceptance promises has created a wave of despair and concern among Afghan migrants in Pakistan and has faced severe internal criticism…

The decision of the German federal government to bar the entry of some Afghan women and men who had previously received acceptance promises has led to widespread protests from Afghan migrants in Pakistan and severe internal criticism. This decision, which was made based on a lack of political will to accept individuals during the waiting period, has been deemed inappropriate by the German Commissioner for Human Rights and has been described as shameful and hypocritical by politicians from the Green Party.

Germany has waived acceptance of at-risk Afghans

The decision of the German federal government to bar the entry of several Afghan women and men who had previously received acceptance promises has faced a wave of reactions and severe criticism. This decision has been particularly disheartening and concerning for Afghans who are waiting in Pakistan for transfer to Germany.

​Migrants in Pakistan: Despondent and Uncertain

Several Afghans who have been waiting in Pakistan for transfer to Germany for years have expressed their disappointment over this new decision.

​Unjustified rejection: One migrant, who received a rejection of his acceptance request after nearly two years of waiting, stated that the German government has ignored all these matters and in the most recent message without any specific reason, has waived our acceptance. He added: We cannot return to Afghanistan again and we cannot travel to another third country from here.

​Questioning commitment: Another migrant who had received an acceptance promise expressed concern and asked: If you did not intend to transfer migrants or had plans to not accept them, then why did you call them from Afghanistan… and now that you have called them, why are you not fulfilling your promise?

​Severe criticism from the German Commissioner for Human Rights

This decision of the German federal government has also faced severe criticism within the country.

Lars Castellucci, the German federal government’s Commissioner for Human Rights, criticized this decision as inappropriate. He pointed out that these Afghans, especially women and children, cannot return to Afghanistan due to persecution and oppression, adding that:
​ The least we can do and the most appropriate behavior for these people is to accept them in Germany.

​Green Party: A source of shame and hypocrisy

Shahina Gambir, a politician from the Green Party in German domestic affairs, stated that this non-acceptance is a source of shame, as Germany had promised these individuals years ago to accept them and protect them from Taliban violence.

​She noted the timing of the announcement of this decision, adding that announcing such a decision precisely on Human Rights Day is hypocritical.

​Decision of the German Ministry of the Interior

According to a report by Deutsche Welle, the German federal Ministry of the Interior has made a fundamental decision, based on which there is no longer any political will for the acceptance of women and men who are in the waiting period or whose names are included in the human rights lists.

​These individuals include former local staff of the army and German institutions, as well as those who are now facing threats and persecution from the Taliban due to their activities for establishing a democratic government in Afghanistan. For more on the situation facing Afghans, see the UN Security Council’s call for urgent changes in Taliban policies.

​Ignoring requests from international organizations

This decision comes at a time when, just a day earlier, over 250 human rights organizations and NGOs, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, had called on the German government to transfer approximately 1,800 Afghans from Pakistan to this country before the end of this calendar year.