BERLIN — Growing concerns over Germany’s tightening migration policies have left many migrants uncertain about their future, according to a report by InfoMigrants, a refugee rights organization.
The report highlights that stricter asylum laws and shifting political sentiment have led to a sense of insecurity among migrants, many of whom fear deportation.
“Especially in light of recent political developments and stricter asylum laws, many migrants feel insecure and wonder whether their efforts to integrate and start a new life in Germany will be enough to guarantee them a place to stay,” the organization stated.
The report also cites Hassinah, an Afghan journalist who fled to Germany after the Taliban takeover in 2021.
“After the fall of the government, the situation for journalists, especially women, became increasingly dangerous,” the report said, adding that Reporters Without Borders had promised to help relocate her to Germany.
In December 2021, she received an urgent call instructing her to travel to Kabul immediately for a flight to Islamabad. She was not informed about her family’s travel plans, as they were scheduled to leave on later flights.
“I had no chance to say goodbye to my family or friends,” she recalled. “Leaving Afghanistan was the most bitter day of my life—a night when I couldn’t hug my loved ones or even pack my belongings.”
Upon arriving in Islamabad, she was told her visa would be issued within two weeks, but the process took over a month.
“All my years of work, like that of many other Afghans, were lost. I left everything behind, and overnight, my entire life ended,” she said. “I was thrown into an unknown future with just a small suitcase and one big question: why?”
The report comes as Afghan migrants in various countries report psychological distress and uncertainty over their legal status. Many remain in limbo, struggling with the challenges of exile and the fear of forced return to Afghanistan, where the Taliban continue to suppress dissent and restrict freedoms.
