Germany is spending millions of euros each month on more than 2,000 Afghans stranded in Pakistan after being promised resettlement by former foreign minister Annalena Baerbock. Many of them have waited in Islamabad for months without visas, as security concerns and doubts over their identities and persecution claims stall the process.
Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt’s office confirmed the government will now review each case individually. Only those with binding commitments and cleared by security checks will be admitted—a move widely viewed as an attempt to minimise arrivals from a programme that has become politically toxic.
Since 2021, the state-owned development agency GIZ has billed at least €149 million to run the scheme. The agency refuses to give a detailed breakdown of costs, citing confidentiality, while taxpayers continue to fund accommodation and support. The Federal Audit Office has launched a review, and a court case seeks to force disclosure.
