By Michael Seifert
The coalition agreement currently being negotiated between the CDU/CSU and SPD parties to form a new federal government provides for the end of voluntary admission programs for refugees: “We will end voluntary federal admission programs as far as possible (e.g., Afghanistan) and will not launch any new programs,” the agreement states. The previous federal government had already suspended the resettlement program run by the United Nations. In 2024, 1,859 people came to Germany through this program, mainly from Syria, Sudan, and South Sudan.
Deportation of Afghans from Pakistan
Those affected by the decision include many people from Afghanistan who are waiting in the Pakistani capital Islamabad for a visa and departure with a promise of admission to Germany. According to a report by ARD, a total of around 800,000 Afghans have fled to Pakistan from the Taliban-controlled country since 2021. They had been ordered by the Pakistani government to leave the country by March 31, 2025. According to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), around 127,000 Afghans have left the country since the latest wave of deportations began in early April. The majority left of their own accord under the pressure of impending deportation, according to the UN organization. Around 26,000 people have been deported.
People with approval are waiting for visas to Germany
The German Federal Reception Program for Afghanistan (BAP) was launched in October 2022. The program was designed to protect people who had worked for human rights, democracy, the rule of law, and peace in Afghanistan, or who were particularly at risk because of their gender or sexual orientation. Up to 1,000 people per month, i.e., up to 36,000 people in total, were to be accepted through the program. This quota was not fully utilized: By February 28, 2025, a total of 1,262 persons (433 persons and 833 family members) had entered Germany under the BAP (source: Bundestag printed paper 15087). 3,080 Afghan nationals, including family members, are still in Pakistan in the process of leaving the country. They live there in precarious conditions and now fear life-threatening deportation to Afghanistan. The current federal government has now arranged three more flights for people who have been promised admission to Germany, which has led to controversy with the party of the likely future chancellor.
Call for help from Islamabad
The Tübingen-based initiative “move on – menschen.rechte e.V.” is a reporting center for the admission of persons at risk under the federal admission program for Afghanistan and provides support to persons who have arrived in Germany as well as those waiting in Islamabad to leave the country. A few days ago, “move on” received this email from women in Islamabad whom they are supporting:
“[…] since yesterday, the arrest and inspection of the homes of Afghan citizens has begun in Islamabad and other areas of Pakistan. In addition, our Pakistani landlord has given us only one week to vacate the house. Since we do not have visas, we cannot rent another apartment […] Returning to Afghanistan is out of the question for us, as we have no chance of survival there.”
Appeal to the federal government to continue the BAP
PRO ASYL and 44 other organizations have issued an appeal to the German federal government and members of the Bundestag, calling on them not to allow the federal admission program to expire, but to actually implement and expand it. Wiebke Judith, legal policy spokesperson for PRO ASYL, explained: “The federal admission program for Afghanistan is the last lifeline for numerous women, LGTBIQ persons, journalists, human rights activists, and many others to escape the Taliban dictatorship.”
Further links:
tagesschau.de | Afghans in Pakistan
PRO ASYL | Save the Afghanistan admission program
tun25040104