Rights Groups Sue German Ministers Over Afghan Deportations from Pakistan

 

Two advocacy groups, PRO ASYL and the Patenschaftsnetzwerk Ortskraefte, have filed a criminal complaint against German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul and Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt. The NGOs accuse them of “abandonment” and “failure to render assistance” for not stopping the deportation of Afghan nationals from Pakistan to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. These Afghans, deemed vulnerable under Taliban rule, had already been approved for relocation to Germany under special admission programmes. Pakistan began deporting documented Afghan refugees ahead of a September 1 deadline, a move the UN warns could force more than one million people to leave. The NGOs say more than 400 Afghans accepted into Germany’s programme have been arrested in Pakistan in recent weeks, and 34 have already been deported. Deportees risk imprisonment, mistreatment, or execution in Afghanistan. Some cases have involved family separations, including a girl sent back alone. The complaint follows a July legal opinion warning that German officials could face criminal liability if they fail to intervene. The NGOs argue that the German government’s pause in the resettlement programme has left lives in danger.

Germany’s conservative-led government has suspended Afghan relocation plans while reviewing migration policy. Foreign Minister Wadephul says his ministry is in “high-level contact” with Pakistani officials to protect affected individuals and provide rapid assistance to those deported or arrested. The interior ministry says decisions on the programme are expected soon but has given no firm timeline. The NGOs’ lawsuit adds to over 80 separate legal actions filed by affected Afghans seeking the government’s approval for visas. In several cases, German courts have ruled in their favour, but the interior ministry has appealed those decisions. Rights groups say the government’s delay has left vulnerable Afghans stranded in dangerous conditions. Lawyer Victoria Lies, who represents several at-risk individuals, says some clients have been split from their families, with children sent back alone. The situation in Pakistan has worsened for Afghan refugees since Islamabad’s decision to expel both undocumented and documented Afghans. International organisations, including the UN, have warned of severe human rights violations awaiting deportees in Afghanistan. For now, the fate of more than 2,000 Afghans approved for relocation to Germany remains uncertain, with campaigners urging urgent intervention before more are forced back into Taliban-controlled territory.

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