BERLIN — Germany has paused its voluntary admission flights for Afghan refugees for two weeks, citing an ongoing government transition and the need for a decision by the incoming coalition on how to proceed, the country’s Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday.
The temporary suspension comes as Germany prepares for a new administration following an agreement between the conservative bloc and the Social Democrats (SPD) to tighten migration policy, in response to mounting public concern over irregular migration and infrastructure strain.
Germany has taken in 36,000 Afghans under voluntary admission programs since the Taliban returned to power in 2021. This includes about 20,000 former local staff of German agencies and humanitarian organizations, along with their family members, according to the Foreign Ministry.
Currently, around 2,600 people approved for admission are waiting in Pakistan for visas and charter flights to Germany. Among them are approximately 350 former local employees. Each applicant must also complete a rigorous security screening involving the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, the Federal Police, and the Federal Criminal Police Office.
The ministry emphasized that admission confirmations already issued are legally binding and can only be revoked under narrowly defined conditions, limiting the next government’s ability to reverse them regardless of future cabinet appointments.
The decision to halt flights has drawn criticism from both sides of the political spectrum. Conservative politicians have accused the outgoing SPD-Green government of rushing to cement refugee admissions before leaving office.
“For several weeks now, we’ve been seeing planes arrive in Germany on a daily basis. I believe that’s wrong. It creates the impression that an outgoing federal government is trying to establish facts on the ground in its final days,” said Thorsten Frei, a leading conservative lawmaker.
Meanwhile, refugee advocacy groups warned that suspending evacuations could endanger vulnerable Afghans. “The German government itself has determined their endangerment,” said Wiebke Judith, legal policy spokesperson for the NGO ProAsyl. “A return or deportation to Afghanistan could mean torture or even death for them.”
