More than 11,000 Afghan citizens have been ordered to be deported by the German government. This step appears as a shift towards a more rigid approach to migration and one that has received severe critique from humanitarian entities.
The information published by the administration shows the demographic breakdown. Nearly 9,700 men, 1,450 women, and almost 1,500 children are affected by the orders. Another important aspect of this development is the legality of most of the people involved. About 9,500 of them are in a status called “Duldung”, a temporary residence permit, which implies that their deportation was postponed.
Tighter Migration Policies
The new policy follows the government of Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who has prioritized the reduction of migration. In 2021, when the Taliban came to power, Germany suspended the majority of deportations to Afghanistan. Nevertheless, after several violent attacks that involved migrants, the government has started reinstating such expulsions, this time targeting those with criminal records.
In July, Germany deported 81 Afghans whose asylum applications had been rejected and who had criminal records; the second such flight since the practice was restarted last year.
This policy shift has been received with a lot of condemnation. United Nations agencies and human rights organizations have been raising their grave concerns based on uncertain security conditions and human rights violations during the Taliban regime.
According to Ravina Shamdasani, the spokesperson of the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR), “it is not appropriate to send people back to Afghanistan”, and she noted the “ongoing violation of human rights” there. A spokesperson of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) also said that a non-return advisory on Afghanistan is still in force, advising nations not to deport individuals.
Germany, in a controversial development to enable such deportations, has permitted the employment of two Taliban officials at Afghan diplomatic missions in the country despite not having formally recognized the regime. German officials described this as a technical contact to help facilitate the procedure. The move has created controversy over the moral aspect of dealing with the Taliban, even in consular matters.
The future of these thousands of Afghans is undecided, and the government continues to pursue a policy that focuses more on migration controls rather than on humanitarian issues.
Shifting US Approach and Afghan Refugees in Limbo
The United States’ stance on Afghan immigration has undergone sharp shifts in recent years, tightening under President Donald Trump and now stagnating in bureaucratic paralysis post-withdrawal.
Trump-era policies imposed a travel ban on Afghanistan, citing security risks and the Taliban’s terror designation. Though exceptions were made for Afghan allies under the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program, refugee processing was largely suspended, leaving thousands stranded despite being vetted. The termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) in mid-2025 further endangered over 14,000 Afghans already in the U.S., exposing many to potential deportation.
The Biden administration’s proposed Afghan Adjustment Act aimed to provide a legal pathway for these individuals, but the bill has been stalled in Congress. Meanwhile, resettlement efforts remain sluggish and unclear, with thousands of Afghans still stuck in third countries like Qatar, the UAE, and Albania among others, years after the US exit from Afghanistan.
Future of Afghan Refugees in Limbo
In Pakistan, which has hosted millions of Afghan refugees for over four decades, a gradual repatriation strategy has been rolled out, citing economic, social, and security concerns. Officials note that since the war in Afghanistan is now over, the rationale for indefinite refugee status no longer holds.
The Pakistani government announced it would begin the formal repatriation and deportation of over 1.3 million Afghan refugees with expired “Proof of Registration” (PoR) cards starting September 1st.
About 352,000 Afghans have returned or have been repatriated already this year, in the first three months to Afghanistan. While international agencies like UNHCR have expressed concern, urging adherence to international principles including non-refoulement, Pakistani officials stress that the policy is part of a broader “Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan,” aimed at bringing clarity to a decades-old situation amid changing ground realities.
As global refugee regimes grow more restrictive, Pakistan continues to manage one of the world’s largest protracted refugee situations, navigating a path that seeks both national interest and regional responsibility.
