Berlin urged to assist Afghans stranded in Pakistan ‘before it’s too late’
Berlin urged to assist Afghans stranded in Pakistan ‘before it’s too late’
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Over 50 organizations urged the German government on Monday to act swiftly to protect thousands of Afghans at risk of deportation from Pakistan, whom Germany had previously offered refuge, Arab News reported. Coordinated by the German Bar Association, the appeal emphasized the urgent need to save more than 2,000 stranded Afghans caught between Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s stricter immigration policies and Pakistan’s ongoing expulsions.
Among the signatories were Amnesty International, Reporters Without Borders, and Caritas, who called for a rapid acceleration of security checks for those accepted under Germany’s reception scheme. They also demanded the immediate evacuation of those approved for resettlement.
The groups highlighted that many at risk are lawyers, judges, human rights defenders, journalists, and members of vulnerable minorities. They stressed Germany’s special responsibility toward these individuals, who trusted the country and whose advocacy for democracy and human rights now endangers them in Afghanistan.
Recently, Pakistani authorities arrested 450 Afghans awaiting relocation to Germany amid a crackdown on undocumented migrants. The German foreign ministry is in contact with over 200 deported individuals. The reception program was established under former Chancellor Olaf Scholz after the Taliban’s 2021 takeover but is now under review due to Merz’s immigration restrictions.
