Afghanistan Peace Campaign
Germany plans to cancel its special Afghan refugee admission program, citing lengthy procedures and bureaucratic hurdles that left thousands stranded in Pakistan awaiting relocation.
Germany is preparing to cancel its special admission programs for Afghan refugees due to prolonged processing times and complex bureaucratic hurdles, according to a report aired on Monday.
The public broadcaster MDR said the decision follows years of administrative delays that have left thousands of Afghans stranded in Pakistan after fleeing Kabul in 2021.
The report, part of MDR’s Exactly documentary series titled “Afghanistan and Refugees: Germany’s False Promises,” highlights the plight of Afghans who sought protection from Germany but remain in legal limbo.
According to the investigation, Berlin’s admission initiatives for at-risk Afghans have so far benefited only a limited number of applicants, while the majority face indefinite waits for visa approval.
Roughly 2,000 Afghans who previously received assurances of relocation from the German government are still waiting in Pakistan, many of them women’s rights activists, journalists, human rights defenders, and former military aides.
The documentary warns that ending the program could amount to “the formal end of Germany’s moral responsibility” toward its Afghan partners, many of whom face grave risks under Taliban rule.
Rights groups have urged Berlin to reconsider, calling the cancellation a betrayal of those who assisted German forces and institutions during the war.
Observers say the move reflects Europe’s broader shift toward stricter migration controls and highlights the growing disconnect between humanitarian pledges and political will.