Five Afghan asylum-seeking families who had been stranded in Pakistan arrived at Hanover Airport, pursuant to a court ruling that obliges the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to grant them visas under the Afghan Admission Program. According to the Federal Ministry of the Interior, the arrivals travelled on a regular commercial flight.
According to the organization “Kabul Airlift,” which provides support to Afghan asylum seekers stranded in Pakistan, the Afghan families belong to the highest-priority categories under the Federal Admission Program. However, they were forced to resort to the courts to obtain an order granting them visas to enter Germany. The court ordered the Ministry of the Interior to issue the visas. The organization’s spokesperson said that the five families will be transferred to the Friedland reception center before being distributed among the German federal states.
A second flight carrying Afghan asylum seekers under the Afghan Admission Program is expected to arrive, likewise in compliance with court rulings, according to the German News Agency (dpa). The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has so far issued 75 visas pursuant to court orders, and the courts are currently examining around 90 additional cases, along with 110 urgent applications, the ministry said.
The new federal government (the Black-Red Coalition) had decided to suspend the Afghan admission programs, which prompted Afghans to turn to the courts. According to administrative court rulings, Germany had made binding promises of admission to Afghans who worked as local staff for the German Army or for human rights and women’s rights organizations, and had issued documents confirming these commitments. This means that Germany is legally obligated to honor its promise.
In recent months, the situation of Afghan asylum seekers stranded in Pakistan has deteriorated significantly, particularly after the Pakistani government decided to deport Afghan asylum seekers to their home country. Pakistan has already deported around 250 Afghans.
The federal government is working to address the crisis of Afghans stranded in Pakistan, as around 2,000 individuals with admission commitments remain stuck there. According to the Foreign Ministry, Germany is making efforts to bring back 250 people who were deported to Afghanistan a few weeks ago and is providing them with accommodation, food, and medical care.
