Germany is gradually winding down its program to admit Afghan nationals who had previously received promises of relocation, government officials said on Thursday.
Around 280 Afghan nationals are currently in Pakistan awaiting permission to travel to Germany, according to the Interior Ministry as quoted by German media.
Of those, about 230 are part of Germany’s federal admission program, while roughly 50 are former local staff of German institutions and their family members, a ministry spokesperson said. The government intends to process their entry “as quickly as possible,” the spokesperson added.
However, the number of people awaiting relocation could change daily due to ongoing administrative procedures and rulings by German administrative courts.
In December, the German government informed more than 650 Afghans who had previously been promised admission that they would no longer be transferred to Germany. Most of those affected were not covered by the federal admission programme but had been accepted under a separate “human rights list” scheme.
German officials said those pledges were not legally binding and were therefore revoked. The individuals concerned were offered financial assistance to return to Afghanistan or relocate to a third country.
The Interior Ministry also said previous support measures, including accommodation in guesthouses, would be phased out.
The decision affects Afghan nationals currently in Islamabad as well as some who have been deported from Pakistan to Afghanistan.
In recent months, Germany has continued to transfer eligible Afghans through both regular commercial flights and charter services. Last week, 47 beneficiaries of the federal admission program arrived in Berlin on a charter flight, officials said.
