Germany has transferred 192 Afghan nationals from Pakistan on a charter flight to Erfurt, the Interior Ministry said on Wednesday, marking the first such evacuation conducted by the country’s current coalition government.
The group, all approved under Germany’s humanitarian admission program, arrived in the eastern state of Thuringia before being taken to the Friedland reception centre in Lower Saxony, DW reported.
They will later be resettled across various German states, the ministry said.
Many other Afghans eligible for relocation remain in Islamabad awaiting departure. In recent months, some have travelled to Germany on commercial flights, but German officials say further charter transfers could continue into early 2026.
Pakistan has ordered undocumented Afghans to leave the country by the end of this year and has warned of possible deportations, raising pressure on applicants awaiting relocation to Western countries.
The Interior Ministry also confirmed that 62 Afghans approved for admission have accepted financial compensation in exchange for withdrawing their relocation requests. Discussions with others who may opt out are ongoing.
Those eligible for transfer include former local staff of German embassies, development agencies and security missions, as well as their family members — people considered at risk following the Taliban’s return to power in 2021.
Germany halted its broader humanitarian admission scheme for at-risk Afghans — including journalists, rights defenders and former justice sector employees — in May after the current coalition, comprising the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD), the Greens and the Free Democrats (FDP), cited concerns over implementation and security vetting.
Under the previous coalition, which included the SPD, Greens and FDP, charter flights from Pakistan to Germany for Afghan evacuees had taken place regularly.
