The German government is in discussions with Pakistan to allow the return of Afghan nationals who were deported despite having been approved for resettlement in Germany, German media reported.
The newspaper Junge Freiheit said more than 600 Afghans slated for relocation to Germany had been detained in Pakistan, with about 250 of them already sent back to Afghanistan.
According to the report, Pakistan has detained 661 Afghans since mid-August, deporting 248 of them. Among those affected were 51 former local employees of Germany, 124 people accepted under Germany’s special admission programme, and 73 others in separate resettlement schemes.
Germany’s Interior and Foreign Ministries said deportations had been stopped in more than 300 cases, with those individuals still in Pakistan.
Meanwhile, more than 200 deported Afghans who had previously received guarantees of entry to Germany have appealed to Berlin in a letter, urging immediate action to protect their lives. They said they are living in fear of the Taliban after being returned to Afghanistan.
A spokesperson for Germany’s Foreign Ministry stressed that each case is subject to an “individual review,” adding that entry would not be granted if there were security concerns.
At present, more than 2,000 Afghans approved under official German relocation programmes remain in Pakistan, awaiting flights to Germany.