2,400 people are still waiting in Islamabad, Pakistan, to obtain visas for Germany. These Afghans had been granted permission to stay in Germany under the “Federal Admission Program for Particularly Vulnerable Afghans” (BAP) and are now threatened with deportation back to Afghanistan. tünews INTERNATIONAL had already reported on this: tun25040104
On July 8, 2025, the Berlin Administrative Court ruled in summary proceedings on a lawsuit filed by a woman and her 13 family members that the federal government must issue the promised visas. Germany had “legally bound itself by its admission decisions,” the judges explained in their ruling. Germany cannot withdraw from this “voluntarily entered into commitment,” the judges said. The Foreign Office is obliged to act immediately following the decision. However, an appeal can be lodged against the ruling with the Higher Administrative Court of Berlin-Brandenburg. If the authority does so, there could be delays, a spokeswoman for the court said.
About 40 more lawsuits
According to the court, about 40 more urgent applications with similar claims are pending. With these lawsuits, the organization “Kabul Luftbrücke” wants to force the BAP to continue. Those affected left their homes trusting in German promises, a spokeswoman said.
The current ruling could also affect a total of 38 people who are being assisted by the Tübingen-based association “move on – menschen.rechte Tübingen e.V.” who have received a commitment but not yet a visa, whose lawsuits must now also be heard by the Berlin court. “These people must not be abandoned and left to the mercy of the Taliban,” said Andreas Linder, the association’s executive director, in a press release.
UN resolution and international arrest warrant against Taliban leaders
In this context, it is also worth noting the recent announcement on July 8, 2025, that the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague has issued an international arrest warrant against Taliban leaders Haibatullah Akhundzada and Abdul Hakim Haqqani for crimes against humanity, particularly against women and girls. At the same time, the UN General Assembly in New York passed a resolution calling on the Islamist Taliban to end the systematic oppression and exclusion of the female population. Israel and the US voted against the resolution, while twelve countries – including Russia, China, India, and Iran – abstained.
To the press release of the Berlin Administrative Court: Berlin Administrative Court | Federal admission program for Afghanistan
Press release from “move on”: move on | Acceptance commitments oblige visa issuance
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