Amnesty, Caritas & Co.: Accept vulnerable Afghans with a promise of admission

Dozens of organizations have called on the German government to take immediate measures to protect Afghans at risk, including a commitment to accept them into Germany. "Act now, before it is too late for many of those affected," read an open letter to Federal Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (CDU) and Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU), which was made available to the German Editorial Network on Monday. The letter was signed by Amnesty International, the Caritas Association, Reporters Without Borders, and Medico International, among others. The letter was initiated by the German Bar Association (DAV).

The background to this is the deportation of numerous Afghans from Pakistan to Afghanistan a few days ago, who had been granted admission to Germany. Specifically, the organizations are calling for a drastic reduction in the duration of security clearances and visa procedures, as well as the immediate evacuation of Afghans from Pakistan who have been granted admission.

Germany must coordinate more closely with Pakistan, international partners, and civil society organizations "to prevent deportations and detention pending deportation and to enable safe departures," the letter states. The signatories argue that Germany bears "a special responsibility" toward the people "who have trusted us and whose commitment to democracy, human rights, and the rule of law now makes them targets in Afghanistan."

Following the conquest of Afghanistan by the radical Islamist Taliban in August 2021, the German government launched admission programs. These programs were intended to enable particularly vulnerable Afghans to be permanently admitted to Germany on humanitarian grounds. These programs target people considered vulnerable because they have campaigned for democratic rights or once worked as local staff for the Bundeswehr or German organizations, as well as their family members.

However, the CDU/CSU and SPD agreed in their coalition agreement to end the reception programs “as far as possible.”

According to the Kabul Airlift Initiative, which advocates for the evacuation of threatened Afghans, there are approximately 2,300 people in Pakistan with legally binding commitments to be admitted.