Germany will stop resettling hundreds of Afghans who had been promised refuge, the Interior Ministry said, as the new conservative government moves to tighten migration policy.
About 640 Afghans currently in Pakistan awaiting relocation to Germany will no longer be admitted after Berlin decided to end two resettlement programmes introduced by the previous centre-left-led government, an Interior Ministry spokesperson said.
Those affected include Afghans who worked for the German military or government institutions during the international mission in Afghanistan, as well as rights activists and journalists.
“They will be informed in the coming days that there is no longer any political interest in their admission,” the spokesperson said, adding that only those with a “legally binding” commitment would remain eligible for resettlement.
The change follows the election of Chancellor Friedrich Merz, whose government has taken a tougher stance on migration amid pressure from the far right.
Rights groups criticised the decision, saying it put Afghans at risk of persecution if returned to Taliban-ruled Afghanistan. NGOs estimate that up to 1,800 Afghans approved for relocation have been stranded in Pakistan for months.
Germany launched special admission programmes after the Taliban returned to power in 2021, offering refuge to Afghans deemed particularly vulnerable. Official data show that by April 2025, about 4,000 former local staff and 15,000 family members had been resettled.
Since then, the government has largely moved to phase out the policy. The Interior Ministry said last month that only 62 Afghans had accepted financial incentives to renounce their right to relocation.
Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt has led efforts to curb new arrivals, arguing that eligibility should be limited to cases with binding legal guarantees. The ministry said this would apply to about 90 of the 220 former local staff still awaiting evacuation.
Germany resumed deportations to Afghanistan last year, focusing on individuals with criminal records, despite repeated warnings from the Foreign Ministry about human rights abuses in the country, including torture and extrajudicial killings.
