Agency Report –
Many Afghans who were promised admission to Germany have been successful in court cases, according to figures from administrative courts in Berlin and the Bavarian town of Ansbach seen by dpa.
The cases concern people included in Germany’s federal resettlement programme for Afghans deemed particularly vulnerable after the Taliban returned to power in 2021.
An estimated 1,900 Afghans are waiting in Pakistan for their chance to enter Germany, many of whom have been stranded in the country for years.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s government suspended a resettlement programme for particularly vulnerable Afghans shortly after taking office in May and has recently offered some Afghans financial compensation if they withdraw – an offer that has been criticized by recipients.
Since mid-May, at least 117 urgent applications have been filed with the Berlin Administrative Court.
Of these, 49 have so far been decided in favour of the applicants, usually obliging the German government to issue a visa or, in some cases, at least to take a decision.
Eighteen urgent applications were rejected, while 41 cases were still pending as of October 31. The figures may not be exhaustive, a court spokesman said.
In 14 cases, the court has threatened the government with coercive fines – typically around €10,000 ($11,600) – for failing to act on its rulings. No fine has yet been imposed.
The cases have led some Afghans to successfully enter Germany despite the government’s efforts to limit migration, with five groups of Afghans arriving in the country since May under various admission programmes.
