Detained Afghans Granted Refugee Status in Pakistan - Afghan Individual Detained in Pakistan With Arrest Warrant
Article: Pakistan's Deportation of Afghans Stalls Resettlement Plans
In a troubling turn of events, Pakistan is detaining and potentially deporting Afghans, many of whom are former local staff or considered particularly at risk, back to their home country. This action comes amidst a stalemate in Germany's humanitarian resettlement efforts for at-risk Afghans, including journalists, human rights activists, and others threatened by Taliban rule.
The detentions and potential deportations have sparked concern, with over 2,000 Afghans currently in Pakistan, waiting for departure to Germany as part of various admission programs. Repeated criticism has been levied against the lengthy admission procedures, and the recent detentions have only exacerbated these concerns.
Pakistan's intensified deportations of Afghan refugees are taking place ahead of a September 1, 2025, deadline for them to leave the country. More than 1 million Afghans face expulsion, including documented refugees awaiting German visas under the admission program. The detentions have been ongoing, with reports of 100 Afghans being held in a deportation center in Islamabad alone.
Despite the ongoing detentions, the federal government in Germany is in high-level contact with the Pakistani government to ensure the protection of these people and to help those who were either deported or arrested in the last few days as quickly as possible. The German embassy in Kabul has been closed since the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban in August 2021, and they are undergoing a screening process in Pakistan.
Organizations Pro Asyl and the Sponsorship Network for Local Staff have filed a criminal complaint against Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) and Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (CDU) for allowing the detention and deportation of Afghans with admission approval. The competent prosecution authority could not initially confirm the receipt of the criminal complaint on dpa inquiry.
The Islamic Taliban have been in power in Afghanistan for four years, and the recent detentions in Islamabad include Afghans from German admission programs, with 35 already deported to Afghanistan. A police officer at a deportation center in Islamabad stated that the people there will be taken to the border town of Peshawar within a few days.
However, it is important to note that deportations from Pakistan are predominantly to Afghanistan, not Germany or Peshawar. Afghans awaiting German resettlement visas remain stranded in Pakistan, but Germany’s suspension of the admission program and backlog in processing mean they face elevated risks, including forced return to Afghanistan.
Legal rulings in Germany compel the government to provide visas to already accepted Afghans, but the overall process is stalled amid political and administrative challenges. Recent rulings ordering visas for Afghan families highlight the legal obligation to honor prior commitments despite the program’s suspension.
In response to the incidents in Islamabad, Interior Minister Wadephul has promised swift help. The article does not provide specifics about the criticism of past detentions, but it is clear that the situation is causing significant concern and uncertainty for the at-risk Afghans involved.
- The intensified deportation of Afghan refugees by Pakistan, particularly those with approved admission to EC countries like Germany, has raised concerns within the general-news sphere, sparking a heated debate in politics regarding the employment policy for these at-risk individuals.
- Despite the ongoing legal obligation in Germany to provide visas to already accepted Afghans, the delay in the employment policy process has caused a backlog, leaving many individuals in limbo and facing increased risks, including forced return to their home country amidst the ongoing crime-and-justice issues in Afghanistan.
