Islamabad: Germany has announced it will end the freeze on admitting vulnerable Afghans who were promised entry to the country. Many of these individuals fled the Taliban and are currently in Pakistan, awaiting their German visas. DW reported on one such family, who, for their safety, have had their names changed and identities concealed.
According to Deutsche Welle, Sharif and his family live in Islamabad under the constant threat of arrest and deportation back to Afghanistan. Police raids on guesthouses accommodating Afghan refugees have forced them to frequently relocate. Before the Taliban’s takeover in 2021, Sharif was employed in Afghanistan, but fled with his family to Pakistan when the group seized Kabul.
Currently, over 2,000 Afghans in Pakistan are waiting to travel to Germany. Despite this, Pakistani authorities have arrested and deported hundreds back to Afghanistan. The Pakistani government had paused deportations to allow Afghans to formalize their status or leave voluntarily, but intends to resume deportations in September. This move could affect over a million people.
The threat of deportation has placed immense strain on Sharif’s family. His children are unable to attend school due to fear of being discovered, and his wife, despite her education, cannot work. “When we arrived, our only hope was that our children could study and build a future,” Sharif’s wife said. “But one year of our lives has already been wasted.” She expressed her wish to be transferred to Germany, where her children could continue their education, and stated she never wants to return to Afghanistan due to the dangers they face.
The new German government, in office since May, decided each application would undergo a security check, halting the admission process for vulnerable Afghans. Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt defended the government’s actions, stating that the government is working on processing applications, including security checks, to address past failures.
Recent decisions by German administrative courts have obliged the Foreign Ministry to issue promised visas, allowing the first families to arrive in Germany in the coming days. Failure to comply would result in penalties for the government. The courts underscored that Germany’s commitments are legally binding.
“There are people in Pakistan at various stages of the emigration procedure. Screening procedures are currently restarting,” announced the German Foreign Ministry. “Staff from the relevant authorities are on the ground to resume the admissions process.”
Human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, Caritas, and Reporters Without Borders, have pressured the German government to act, emphasizing the survival stakes for those facing persecution, imprisonment, or death if returned to Afghanistan.