Germany’s Interior Ministry confirmed the arrival of 28 Afghan nationals in Hanover on Thursday after a court ruling allowed their transfer from Pakistan, according to local media reports.
The group, which traveled on a commercial flight from Islamabad with a stopover in Istanbul, included five men, 10 women and 13 children. They were admitted under a special program for Afghans who had worked with German institutions, as well as journalists, lawyers and human rights defenders.
The program was launched in 2021 by Germany’s previous government but was suspended in May 2025 under the new conservative administration. Some Afghans detained in Pakistan successfully challenged the decision in court, securing their transfer.
The first group of 47 Afghans arrived in early September. With the latest arrivals, 75 visas have been issued following court rulings, while another 110 cases remain under review, the Interior Ministry said.
The NGO Air Bridge Kabul also confirmed the group’s arrival, noting that most of those resettled were families with young children.
Meanwhile, more than 250 Afghans who had been waiting in Pakistan for transfer to Germany were recently sent back to Afghanistan. The German Foreign Ministry said none of them has been able to re-enter Pakistan.
According to official figures, nearly 2,000 Afghans are still in Pakistan awaiting relocation to Europe, but Islamabad has tightened its policy of deporting Afghan migrants, both documented and undocumented.
