Pakistan once more forcibly removes Afghans from their resettlement scheme - Pakistan once more denies Afghan students enrollment in educational scheme
In recent months, a growing number of Afghans in Pakistan have found themselves in a precarious situation, with many being detained and facing deportation. This is primarily due to Pakistan's strict deportation drive, which has rescinded many residence permits for Afghans and threatened arrest for those who remain [1].
The situation arises from the halting or review of Germany's admission program since May 2025, following a stricter immigration policy implemented by the new German government under Chancellor Merz. This has left around 2,400 Afghan women and men stranded in Pakistan without their promised resettlement pathways [1][3].
The current status of the resettlement process is that Germany claims the program is under review, with a case-by-case security screening underway for those on the admission list. However, legal challenges have forced Germany’s hand in some cases. For instance, a Berlin Administrative Court ruled that Germany must grant entry visas to an Afghan family legally promised admission [2].
Rights groups are actively pressuring the German government, filing criminal charges against senior ministers for failing to prevent the deportations despite having issued admission pledges. The UN and humanitarian organizations have condemned forced returns to Afghanistan, citing widespread human rights abuses by the Taliban. The UN Refugee Agency has called on Pakistan to halt forced returns, but Pakistan continues its deportation campaigns [3].
Among the Afghans with a resettlement offer are approximately 350 former local staff of German institutions with their families. Kabul Air Bridge has called for the immediate issuance of visas for those affected. The German government is aware of this situation, as confirmed by Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) [4].
Dobrindt stated that there is contact with those affected by the recent measures through the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ). However, the process often takes months to complete, leaving many in limbo. Authorities in Pakistan have detained at least 20 Afghans who were expecting to travel to Germany. These Afghans were taken to deportation centers in Islamabad, Pakistan [4].
Since the German embassy in Kabul has been closed since August 2021, they are undergoing a screening process in Pakistan. Pakistan has been massively deporting Afghans since 2023 and plans to expel three million Afghan women and men in the long term [1]. This process often involves the use of force, and there are reports of families being separated [1].
In summary, the current situation leaves many Afghans in Pakistan at risk of deportation due to Pakistan's strict deportation policies and the halted German visa processing. The German admission program is under review, with some legal rulings requiring Germany to fulfill prior commitments, but visa issuance remains slow [1][2]. Humanitarian and legal organizations criticize the deportations as dangerous and unlawful, while Germany provides humanitarian aid to Afghanistan but faces criticism for failing to uphold resettlement commitments [3][4].
- The precarious situation for Afghans in Pakistan, where many reside without promised resettlement pathways, is exacerbated by the ongoing review of the employment policy within the EC countries, specifically Germany, which has halted their admission program since May 2025.
- The political landscape, both domestically in Germany and internationally, is under scrutiny as human rights groups and the UN condemn the forced deportations of Afghans and criticize the new German government for failing to promptly address employment policy matters, particularly in regard to their resettlement commitments.
