Germany’s Interior Ministry has confirmed that 192 Afghan refugees were flown from Pakistan to Germany on a chartered aircraft.
According to Deutsche Welle, a spokesperson for the Interior Ministry said on Wednesday (December 4) that the group departed from Islamabad and arrived at Erfurt Airport in central Germany.
The refugees will first be housed at the Friedland reception center in Lower Saxony before being distributed across various German states.
This marks the first time that Germany’s new coalition government under Chancellor Friedrich Merz has transported Afghan refugees from Pakistan via a charter flight. Previous transfers took place on regular commercial flights.
Although the government has halted new admissions under its Afghanistan humanitarian program, it continues to bring in individuals who had already received prior commitments for relocation.
Currently, around 1,900 Afghans who have been promised admission by Germany are waiting in Pakistan for their transfer.
