Overview
- Following a May suspension of the admission program, several hundred of roughly 1,900 Afghans with German commitments in Pakistan were offered money to forgo travel, with the offer ending Monday at midnight.
- Media reports describe payments of up to €2,500 upfront and €10,000 after departure plus in-kind support, usable for return to Afghanistan or relocation to another country.
- Many of those eligible, including lawyers, journalists and human-rights defenders, are reportedly refusing because they fear persecution if they return to Taliban-ruled Afghanistan.
- Left Party lawmaker Clara Bünger condemned the approach as a broken promise and a "human-rights failure," while CDU politician Burkard Dregger defended it as a voluntary option.
- Court challenges continue in Berlin, where at least 49 of 117 recent emergency cases have favored applicants, often resulting in orders to issue visas or make decisions.