Arrested Afghans Possess German Reception Permit in Pakistan
In a troubling turn of events, over 200 Afghans, including former staff of German development agency GIZ, human rights defenders, women’s rights activists, LGBTQ+ persons, and others at risk under the Taliban regime, have been detained and deported from Pakistan back to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.
These individuals, who possessed legal Pakistani visas and German-issued promises of resettlement, were targeted in a series of deportation campaigns by Pakistani authorities. Despite the ongoing diplomatic efforts by Germany to negotiate with Pakistan, the situation remains precarious for the deported Afghans now back in Afghanistan, facing the threat of Taliban persecution and human rights violations.
Approximately 2,400 Afghans remain stranded in Pakistan, awaiting resettlement under German programs. Among them are about 350 former local staff and their families. Many of these individuals face increasing risks amid Pakistan’s intensified deportation efforts, which started in late 2023, and the simultaneous tightening of German resettlement policies under Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s administration.
The German government has officially confirmed the deportations of at least 211 Afghans and is engaging in high-level talks with Pakistani authorities to facilitate the return of those deported and protect Afghans still in Pakistan awaiting resettlement. The German Foreign Ministry and Interior Ministry have also arranged some support and accommodation for deportees now back in Afghanistan.
However, German diplomats, officials, and employees of the Society for International Cooperation are working tirelessly to persuade Pakistani government agencies not to deport Afghans with German acceptance letters. The Kabul Air Bridge has also called for the immediate issuance of visas for the affected persons.
In a concerning development, families are being separated in Pakistan, with reports of multiple arrests in several accommodations. In one guest house, a security guard reported that nine families were taken away by the authorities on the same day. The owner of another guest house reported that seven families were arrested in his accommodation on Thursday.
Reporters Without Borders reported that a journalist with an acceptance letter and his family members were taken to a deportation camp on Wednesday. Around 2,000 people from Afghanistan are currently waiting in Pakistan for their departure to Germany.
The situation has sparked domestic criticism in Germany, with two German human rights groups suing ministers for allegedly abandoning their duty to assist the Afghans awaiting resettlement. The new coalition government of Union and SPD stopped admission programs for people from Afghanistan at the beginning of May.
As the situation unfolds, it remains unclear whether Putin is preparing a special offer for Trump before the Alaska summit, aimed at ending the Ukraine war. However, the focus remains on the urgent need for Pakistan to halt its deportation campaigns and for Germany to expedite the resettlement process for the vulnerable Afghans still in Pakistan.
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