KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Germany has relocated a group of 52 Afghan refugees from Pakistan as part of its ongoing evacuation efforts, German media reported.
As reported by Deutsche Welle, the refugees, approved for resettlement under Germany’s federal admission programme, departed Islamabad on Thursday on a chartered flight and are expected to be resettled in the German cities of Berlin and Hanover.
This is the sixth group of Afghan refugees with approved resettlement status to be relocated from Pakistan since Germany’s new coalition government took office in May. Around 1,900 Afghan citizens are still awaiting entry to Germany, according to the report.
The current German government has halted the broader acceptance of Afghan refugees and only allows entry for those who have obtained approval through the federal admission program and whose legal appeals for visas have been successful.
In recent months, the German government offered more than 600 Afghan refugees promised admission, financial incentives in exchange for withdrawing their applications to relocate. The Interior Ministry of Germany said that 62 individuals, about 10% of those contacted, have accepted the offer so far, while discussions continue with others who have not yet made a decision.
Details of the financial offer have not been fully disclosed. One refugee, speaking to KabulNow, said his family of six was offered 2,000 euros in Pakistan and an additional 9,500 euros after returning to Afghanistan.
In a letter to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, hundreds of those who received the offer said that the proposal “deeply wounded their hearts” as it asked them to give up safety or face life-threatening risks. “Many of us have worked with Germany and spent valuable years of our lives alongside you. We were important allies, comrades, companions, and friends,” the letter said.
Afghan refugees with promised resettlement continue to face uncertainty in Pakistan as authorities have intensified their crackdown in recent months, carrying out raids, detentions, and deportations back to Afghanistan. Human rights groups have urged Germany and other Western countries to expedite the evacuation and resettlement of Afghans who supported international missions and are now at risk under Taliban rule or remain stranded in neighboring countries.
