Another Afghan charter flight has landed in Germany—this time bringing 141 people from Islamabad to Hanover, the Interior Ministry confirmed on Monday.
The arrivals were promised entry years ago under federal reception and local staff (Ortskräfte) schemes set up after the Taliban seized power in 2021. Many had been stuck in Pakistan for years and will now be dispersed from Lower Saxony to other German states.
The flight comes as Islamabad turns up the pressure, giving Berlin until the end of the year to clear its asylum backlog. Those left behind risk deportation to Afghanistan. While the border is mostly closed, the threat remains very real.
Germany initially vowed to protect former local staff and other Afghans deemed at risk. But the current CDU/CSU–SPD coalition has since moved to shut the door. Its coalition agreement pledges to end voluntary federal admission programs—including for Afghanistan—“as far as possible.”
Courts have complicated that plan. Successful legal challenges have forced the government to honour existing commitments. Of the 141 arrivals in Hanover, 123 fall under the Federal Reception Program for Afghanistan.
The latest flight sparked fury from the opposition. AfD leader Alice Weidel wrote on X: “Another Afghan flight has landed in Germany. Once again, more than 100,000 visas for family reunification this year. The so-called “migration turnaround” of the Merz government is a farce. A different migration policy is only possible with the AfD!”
Despite talk of a tougher line, the Merz government has already signalled more arrivals. Another 535 Afghans are due to be transferred from Pakistan—around 38 a day until year’s end. Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said these were people “we assume will enter Germany,” with most flights expected in December.
Just days earlier, 160 Afghans arrived on another charter flight to Berlin, many after winning visa lawsuits following months of delays.
The Foreign Ministry says around 2,250 people approved under Afghanistan-related schemes are still waiting in Pakistan and Afghanistan. At the same time, about 650 Afghans once promised entry via human rights or bridging lists have now been rejected, with the government admitting there is “no longer any political interest” in taking them in.
