Berlin/Islamabad, December 18, 2025: The German government announced on Thursday that it would admit 535 Afghan nationals who had been promised refuge in Germany but have remained stranded in Pakistan for months.
Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt told the RND media network that Berlin aims to complete the processing of these cases “as far as possible in December” to allow their entry into Germany. He added that German authorities are in contact with Pakistan regarding the matter, noting that a small number of cases may spill over into the new year.
The Afghans were accepted under a refugee admission programme launched by Germany’s previous government. However, the process stalled after conservative Chancellor Friedrich Merz took office in May and suspended the scheme, leaving hundreds of approved applicants in limbo in Pakistan.
Those eligible under the programme include Afghans who worked with German armed forces during the war in Afghanistan, as well as individuals deemed to be at heightened risk following the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, such as human rights activists, journalists and their family members.
Pakistan has set a deadline of the end of the year for the resolution of these cases, after which the Afghans could face deportation back to Afghanistan.
Dobrindt said discussions with Pakistani authorities were ongoing. “It could be that there are a few cases which we will have to work on in the new year,” he added.
Last week, Germany’s interior ministry said it had informed 650 people enrolled in the programme that they would not be admitted, as the new government concluded their entry was no longer in Germany’s “interest”. The government has also offered financial compensation to those still in Pakistan to withdraw their claims to resettle in Germany, though only 62 people had accepted the offer by mid-November.
Earlier this month, more than 250 organisations in Germany — including Amnesty International, Save the Children and Human Rights Watch — said around 1,800 Afghans associated with the programme remain stranded in Pakistan. The groups urged the German government to honour its commitments and allow the refugees to enter the country.
