Hanover, Germany – On Monday, a 47-member group of Afghans who escaped Taliban rule landed in Germany, the first such breakthrough following months of languishing in an unsustainable state of limbo in Pakistan.
Their arrival is enabled by a succession of rulings by the German courts, at a time when the government of the country, charged with a conservative-led ruling bloc, had been freezing a programme that would offer them refuge amidst an extravagant crackdown on immigration.
These 10 families are mostly filled with individuals considered to be at high risk of persecution and are just one of the over 2,000 Afghans who have ended up being left stranded in Pakistan since the policy change.
The group of 47 Afghan nationals had been granted visas through legal action. An interior ministry spokeswoman said that the individuals had undergone the admission process and the security check to the full extent.
Their escape through Kabul to Pakistan and eventually to Germany brings out the legal and political problems that the individuals who want refuge against the Taliban regime have to go through.
A New Life and Renewed Hope
To the newcomers, the end of the long journey marks the beginning of a new life full of hope and possibility. A mother and a daughter, who preferred to stay anonymous, talked to AFP about their hope.
“It feels very good and pleasant when girls can go to school, study, and I can also work, study, integrate into society, and learn the language,” the mother said, reflecting on the freedom they now have.
Her 20-year-old daughter expressed her joy and determination, stating, “I am very happy that after many difficulties and challenges, we finally managed to reach a good life.”
She also spoke of her past frustrations and future aspirations. “I could have done many things, studied, achieved a position, and reached the goals I had for myself, but unfortunately, I couldn’t. From now on, I will achieve them,” she said, encapsulating the dreams that had been put on hold by the Taliban’s return to power in 2021.
Eight women and two men were the 10 primary applicants who showed up on Monday. Eva Beyer, a representative of the Airbridge Kabul project, an initiative that supports those affected, confirmed that these people were engaged in politics, the justice system, and journalism, professions that expose them to greater risk in Afghanistan.
The Broader Picture of German Immigration Policy
These Afghans arrive in the backdrop of strict immigration rules under the conservative government of Germany. After the Taliban seized power, a refugee program was put in place to assist Afghans who had served German organizations or those who otherwise had a high risk. But this plan was suspended as part of the wider program of immigration crackdown by the new government.
Although these 47 Afghans were able to navigate through this legal process to obtain their shelter, many others are left in a precarious situation. Last month, Berlin said that approximately 450 Afghans waiting to enter Germany had been detained in Pakistan, and that over 200 of them had been returned, forcibly, to Afghanistan.
Since then, the German government has agreed to take back Afghans whose cases have been determined by the courts to have created a legal obligation to grant them a visa, but the process is gradual and incremental.
According to the Airbridge Kabul program, approximately 85 of the other trapped Afghans have already launched a lawsuit against Germany, and the number is increasing by the day.
This legal dilemma highlights the struggle that is still going on with regard to people seeking sanctuary and the ethical and legal issues that are still in question with regard to international asylum policies.
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