A German court ruled on Tuesday, July 8th, that the government must issue visas to an Afghan family previously accepted under a programme for those at risk after the Taliban seized power in 2021.
The new government under Chancellor Friedrich Merz has frozen the programme, but Berlin’s administrative court said the family had been given a “legally binding” commitment and must be allowed to travel to Germany.
The family—consisting of fourteen people—is currently in Pakistan and had lodged an urgent appeal, saying they were about to be deported to Afghanistan, “where they would be in fear for their lives.”
The family was given approval to come to Germany in 2023 under the programme.
According to the German foreign office, around 2,400 people with a commitment to be admitted to Germany are currently waiting for visas in Pakistan.
A recent investigation by Der Spiegel uncovered widespread fraud in German resettlement schemes, as the government allowed thousands of migrants to enter the country with fake documents and fabricated stories.
