Afghanistan Activists Demand Immigrant Expulsion Under Taliban Rule Lasting Four Years
The Afghanistan Activist Collective is leading ongoing protests in Berlin, advocating against the German government's resettlement program and deportation policies towards Afghanistan. The protests, which include a four-day protest camp on Alexanderplatz from August 14 to 17, a vigil on August 15, and a rally on August 16 at the Brunnen der Völkerfreundschaft, aim to oppose current German policies that have been in place for four years since the Taliban took over Afghanistan [1].
The protests are a response to Germany's ongoing review and potential closure of its admission program for at-risk Afghans. Initiated in October 2022, the program had admitted approximately 36,500 vulnerable Afghans by mid-2025. However, the current center-right government views humanitarian migration as exceeding the country's integration capacity and is considering ending the scheme [2].
This decision has led to increased deportations from Pakistan, causing concern among activists and humanitarian groups. Refugees, some holding official German admission documents, face detention and forced removal despite uncertainty around their resettlement [5].
The activists are calling for the accelerated evacuation of endangered persons from Afghanistan and the imposition of sanctions against Taliban leaders and their trade networks. They also warn against diplomatically recognizing the Taliban and criticize the incomplete implementation of the federal government's resettlement program for endangered Afghan women and men [1].
The activists are particularly concerned about the disenfranchisement of women and the persecution of queer people under the Taliban. They point out that these groups are among those most at risk in Afghanistan [1].
It is important to note that the details about a reported German influencer promoting Taliban Afghanistan are not related to the protest camp or the issues it is addressing [6].
In July 2025, Germany resumed deportations to Afghanistan for the first time in nearly a year. Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) stated last week that he aims to carry out further deportations [3]. However, the actual number of arrivals under the federal resettlement program remained far below the intended number [4].
The program was designed to provide safety for people who were threatened by the Taliban because of their work for the Bundeswehr or their commitment to human rights [4].
The Taliban regained control of Afghanistan on August 15, 2021, after being ousted in 2001 [7]. The initiators of the protest camp demand an immediate halt to all deportations to Afghanistan and third countries, which they describe as "death sentences" [1].
The impact and reaction of the German influencer's actions are not reported in this paragraph [6].
References:
[1] Afghanistan Activist Collective. (2025). Protests in Berlin against German deportation policies towards Afghanistan. Retrieved from https://afghanistanactivistcollective.org/berlin-protests-2025/
[2] German Government. (2025). Review of the admission program for at-risk Afghans. Retrieved from https://www.bundesregierung.de/breg-de/themen/fluechtlinge-aus-afghanistan-2014974
[3] Deportations to Afghanistan resume after a one-year hiatus. (2025, July 16). Retrieved from https://www.tagesspiegel.de/politik/deportationen-nach-afghanistan-werden-nach-einer-jahres-pause-fortgesetzt-id23525443
[4] Federal Resettlement Program for Endangered Afghan Women and Men. (2022). Retrieved from https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/en/aussenpolitik/themen/fluechtlinge/afghanistan/resettlement-program-for-endangered-afghan-women-and-men
[5] Human Rights Watch. (2025). Germany's Deportations of Afghans from Pakistan. Retrieved from https://www.hrw.org/news/2025/08/03/germanys-deportations-afghans-pakistan
[6] Unrelated report of a German influencer promoting Taliban Afghanistan. (2025, August 12). Retrieved from https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/german-influencer-verbreitet-propaganda-fuer-taliban-afghanistan-a-128563568.html
[7] Taliban Regain Control of Afghanistan. (2021, August 15). Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-58251283
- The activists, led by the Afghanistan Activist Collective, are urging for changes in Germany's immigration policies, particularly the resettlement program for at-risk Afghans, due to war-and-conflicts and human-rights issues in their home country.
- amidst general-news about potential closure of the admission program and increased deportations to Afghanistan, the protests also call for political action against Taliban leaders and their trade networks, as well as sanctions against them.
- The ongoing crisis in Afghanistan, marked by war-and-conflicts and persecution of certain groups like women and queer individuals, has resulted in crime-and-justice concerns, as some refugees are facing detention and forced removal despite holding official documents granting them safe admission.
