German govt sued over Afghan refugees deported from Pakistan
The group Pro Asyl said Pakistan had arrested hundreds of them this week and deported 34, placing them at risk of "arbitrary imprisonment, mistreatment or even execution" in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan.
Afghan children ride in a convoy of Taliban security personnel moving along a street as they celebrate the fourth anniversary of their takeover of Afghanistan, in Herat on August 15, 2025. Afghanistan's Taliban authorities marked the fourth anniversary of their takeover on August 15, buoyed by Russia's first official recognition of their government, a step they hope other countries will follow. (Photo by Mohsen KARIMI / AFP)
BERLIN - Rights activists in Germany filed criminal cases Friday against two government ministers after Afghans accepted under a German scheme for at-risk refugees were deported from Pakistan while waiting for their visas.
The group Pro Asyl said Pakistan had arrested hundreds of them this week and deported 34, placing them at risk of "arbitrary imprisonment, mistreatment or even execution" in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan.
Pro Asyl and a second group said they had filed charges against Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul and Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt, accusing them of "abandonment and failure to render assistance" to Afghan refugees caught up in an escalating crackdown by Pakistani authorities.
The cases relate to a government scheme set up under former German chancellor Olaf Scholz in the wake of the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan four years ago.
Berlin then offered to take in thousands of Afghans who had worked with German institutions or who were particularly threatened by the Taliban, for example journalists and human rights activists.
However, as part of an immigration crackdown promised by conservative Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who took office in May, the programme has been put on hold.
This has left around 2,000 Afghans stranded in Pakistan waiting for visas to travel to Germany.
The Kabul Airbridge initiative, which aims to help those stuck in Pakistan, said that another 270 Afghans who had been accepted under the German scheme faced being deported on Friday.
In a statement marking the fourth anniversary of the Taliban's return to power, Wadephul on Friday expressed his "deep concern" over the fate of those at risk of deportation.
Germany was "in touch with the Pakistani government at the highest level to ensure these people are protected", he said.
However, the government continues to keep the admissions programme on ice, despite a court ruling last month which found that it had a "legally binding commitment" to give visas to those who had been accepted under the programme.
Immigration has been a hot-button topic in Europe's biggest economy, pushed strongly by the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.
A string of violent attacks committed by foreign nationals, including Afghans, in the run-up to February's election led Merz to promise to end the admissions scheme and to increase deportations of convicted criminals to Afghanistan.
Pakistan, home to many Afghan refugees, first launched a deportation drive in 2023 and renewed it in April when it rescinded hundreds of thousands of residence permits for Afghans, threatening to arrest any who did not leave.
In total, more than one million Afghans have left Pakistan since 2023, including more than 200,000 since April.