The German socialist government suspended refugee flights from Afghanistan

The outgoing government of Germany has suspended for two weeks the flights intended for the voluntary admission of Afghan refugees, while it is expected that the new administration will decide how to proceed.

This was announced by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs this Wednesday. This decision comes amid an agreement between the future governing coalition, comprised of the conservatives and the Social Democratic Party (SPD), to restrict irregular migration, reflecting growing public concern following several violent attacks attributed to migrants, as well as pressure on infrastructure and housing.

After the hasty withdrawal of Western forces from Afghanistan in 2021, Germany assumed the responsibility of protecting local staff who collaborated with German agencies and humanitarian organizations.

In response, several programs were established to resettle both these employees and especially vulnerable Afghans. Since then, Germany has welcomed about 36,000 people under these programs, including approximately 20,000 former local employees and their families, according to data from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Currently, around 2,600 people approved for admission to Germany are waiting in Pakistan for visas and charter flights. Among them are about 350 former local employees.

In addition to having official approval, applicants must undergo a rigorous visa and security review process, involving the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, the Federal Police, and the Federal Criminal Police Office.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, currently led by the Greens, indicated that the admission confirmations already issued are legally binding and can only be revoked under very specific conditions.

This means that the next government will find it difficult to annul these commitments, regardless of who assumes the Interior or Foreign Ministries.

The temporary suspension of flights has caused criticism from different political sectors. Center-right representatives accused the outgoing government of rushing the admission of refugees before handing over power.

Thorsten Frei, parliamentary leader of the center-right bloc, expressed that the recent daily flights gave the impression that the government wanted to impose faits accomplis in its final days.

Meanwhile, refugee rights organizations have warned about the alleged risks involved in interrupting these evacuations.

ProAsyl, a German NGO that provides legal assistance to asylum seekers, warned that halting the flights could endanger vulnerable Afghans with torture or death if they were returned to Afghanistan, currently under Taliban control. "The German government itself has determined their risk situation," said Wiebke Judith, ProAsyl's legal policy spokesperson.

This pause in the resettlement process reflects the political tension surrounding migration in Germany, just at the moment of transition to a new government.