Approximately 1,900 Afghan Refugees Await German Resettlement in Pakistan

Currently, around 1,910 Afghan individuals with confirmed offers for resettlement in Germany are situated in Pakistan. A spokesperson from the German Federal Ministry of the Interior reported that staff members are actively working in Pakistan to expedite the processing of these resettlement applications. The ministry aims to provide clarity on whether these individuals will be able to relocate to Germany quickly.

While the spokesperson did not disclose how many applications have already been processed, it was indicated that individuals continue to arrive in Germany from Afghanistan. The ministry emphasized that the opportunity for resettlement remains open.

Among the 1,910 Afghan refugees, 1,040 are part of the federal resettlement program, 600 are in a bridging program, and 210 are included in the local forces program; an additional 60 individuals are on a special human rights list due to their vulnerable status.

Following the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan in 2021, Germany granted resettlement offers to individuals who had worked for the German military or other institutions, along with those deemed at high risk for various reasons, including women's rights activists and human rights defenders.

However, following a change in government, the new administration in Berlin significantly restricted these resettlement initiatives. The coalition agreement between the Union and the SPD stated that as much as possible, resettlement programs would be halted. Nevertheless, courts have upheld the resettlement claims of specific individuals with binding offers.

In early September, a group of 47 Afghan refugees was successfully resettled in Germany, followed by another group of 28 individuals three weeks later.

This past summer, Pakistan intensified its efforts to deport individuals back to Afghanistan, including those who had previously received resettlement offers from the former German government. The German Foreign Office estimated that around 250 individuals from these resettlement programs have been deported as of late September. The ministry is reportedly working on facilitating the re-entry of these individuals into Pakistan.