Germany Airlifts Afghan Refugees from Pakistan Amid Deportation Risks
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Synopsis
Germany has evacuated over 170 Afghan refugees from Pakistan amidst threats of deportation. This is part of their ongoing initiative to resettle vulnerable individuals who are at risk due to the Taliban's resurgence.
Key Takeaways
- Germany evacuated over 170 Afghan refugees from Pakistan.
- Evacuations are part of a broader effort to resettle those at risk.
- Pakistan has set a deportation deadline of March 31 for Afghan refugees.
- The German program aims to assist individuals who collaborated with German forces in Afghanistan.
- Reports indicate ongoing threats and abuses faced by Afghan refugees in Pakistan.
Berlin, March 28 (NationPress) More than 170 Afghan refugees facing urgent dangers in Pakistan were flown to safety by Germany on a chartered flight, as part of Berlin's commitment to resettle vulnerable Afghans. The airplane transporting 174 Afghan refugees from Islamabad touched down at Hanover Airport, marking the second such flight this month.
As per media reports, Pakistan has imposed a deadline of March 31 for the deportation of all Afghan refugees.
The group that arrived on Thursday consisted of 82 women and 92 men, including 74 individuals under the age of 18, with nine children aged under two, according to a spokesperson from the German Federal Ministry of the Interior, as reported by the German media outlet Bild.
"We spent eleven months in the Pakistani refugee camp because my wife faced threats from the Taliban due to her work as a lawyer. I felt immense happiness and gratitude when the plane landed after a twelve-hour flight," recounted an Afghan refugee upon arrival.
Earlier in February, 155 Afghans arrived in Berlin via charter, permitted entry under the country’s federal reception programme—this included five former local forces and their 22 family members, many of whom were women and minors.
The German government initiated this admission program in 2021 to assist Afghans who collaborated with the German military or civil agencies during its two-decade-long mission in Afghanistan.
According to the German authorities, only those refugees deemed particularly at risk from the Taliban in Afghanistan are being evacuated. Since the Taliban regained power in August 2021, nearly 36,000 individuals have been accepted, categorized by the government as “particularly at risk.”
Reports from Welt indicate that approximately 2,800 Afghan individuals approved for resettlement in Germany are still residing in Islamabad, with their outlook becoming increasingly dire.
The visas granted are valid for three months, yet the processing time for relocation to Germany is significantly prolonged. Unfortunately, the Pakistani authorities have opted not to extend the deadline for deporting Afghan migrants.
Recently, Afghan refugees awaiting resettlement to the United States penned an open letter to Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, urging an immediate halt to deportations for refugees with pending or approved visa applications for entry into the United States or accepted referrals into the United States Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP).
Previously, the US-based advocacy organization, Human Rights Watch, condemned Pakistan for the forced deportation of Afghan refugees.
“Pakistani officials must cease coercing Afghans to return home and allow those facing expulsion the chance to seek protection,” stated Elaine Pearson, Asia Director at Human Rights Watch.
Numerous reports have highlighted that Afghan refugees are enduring significant harassment and abuse in Pakistan. Afghan refugees have called upon various human rights organizations to advocate on their behalf, asserting that despite possessing valid legal documents, they are threatened with illegal detention, deportation, and discrimination.
