German Court Mandates Humanitarian Visas for Afghans Amid Government Review

A German court has ruled that the government is compelled to issue visas to Afghan nationals and their families, who were accepted into a now-suspended humanitarian program. This decision comes despite the new center-right coalition's plan to shut down the program, which was established following the chaotic 2021 Western withdrawal from Afghanistan.

The German Foreign Ministry is currently reviewing the court's ruling, although it remains non-binding at present. The humanitarian admissions programme has allowed over 36,500 vulnerable Afghans, including former local staff, to resettle in Germany via different pathways since May 2021. Currently, 2,400 applicants approved for admission are waiting in Pakistan with no set timeframe for travel to Germany.

The court decision stems from an urgent appeal by an Afghan woman and her family, who argue they are entitled to visas and are under threat of deportation back to Afghanistan from Pakistan. Although the decision mandates honoring existing commitments, the government retains the right to discontinue any future admissions within this program. NGOs report that an additional 17,000 people are in early application stages for the suspended pathway.

(With inputs from agencies.)