Germany has lifted its entry ban on Afghans stranded in Pakistan, ending months of restrictions. The first families are expected to arrive in the coming days.
As we reported, a German court ruled on July 8th, that the government must issue visas to an Afghan family previously accepted under a programme for those at risk after the Taliban took power in 2021.
Around 2,000 Afghans with confirmed admission approval are currently in Pakistan. Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt recently said he was “working through the process,” but warned it could still take months. He stressed: “I will only process it in such a way that we have maximum certainty about who is coming, why they are coming, and whether they are justified in being admitted.”
According to Die Welt, Berlin has ended the blockade in place since late April. Families will soon travel quietly to Germany on scheduled flights with stopovers in Dubai or Istanbul.
The Federal Foreign Office confirmed that “various review procedures” have resumed, with German staff already in Pakistan to process applications. Administrative courts in Berlin had ruled that Germany is legally obliged to allow entry, warning the ministry it faced a €2,500 fine if visas were not issued by 10 September.
Pakistani authorities had repeatedly urged a solution and have begun deporting Afghans without valid papers, with around 200 already sent back. German security officials are due in Islamabad in early September to verify identities and assess potential risks.
