Germany has announced the immediate cessation of its Afghan refugee resettlement program, withdrawing previous promises to offer asylum to Afghan nationals.
The decision, which was made citing security concerns and changing political priorities, has effectively blocked the entry of hundreds of Afghans, including those waiting in Pakistan.
The German Interior Ministry confirmed the policy shift, with spokesperson Sonja Kock stating that Afghan refugees who had been previously promised relocation would soon be informed that their admission to Germany was no longer politically supported. The ministry also confirmed that the resettlement options for those awaiting relocation have been terminated.
This move follows a policy change within Germany’s ruling coalition, which includes the conservative CDU and CSU parties as well as the Social Democrats.
The coalition had agreed to scale back Afghan resettlement efforts, with Chancellor Friedrich Merz advocating for stricter immigration controls in light of security concerns and rising crime among Afghan refugees.
The decision represents a sharp reversal of the previous government’s commitment to Afghan refugees after the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan in 2021. At that time, Germany had pledged to provide asylum to at-risk Afghans, including human rights advocates, journalists, and former government employees, through dedicated resettlement programs.
However, the current Interior Minister, Alexander Dobrindt, dismissed these commitments as “legacy issues” from the previous administration. The new policy also impacts the third resettlement program for Afghan local staff who worked with German ministries, with around 130 individuals and their families informed via email that they would no longer be admitted to Germany.
While the German government has already accepted thousands of Afghan refugees since 2021, including around 4,000 Afghan local staff and nearly 15,000 family members, the latest developments leave hundreds stranded in Pakistan.
