Germany Evacuates 155 At-Risk Afghans to Safety

Germany Evacuates 155 At-Risk Afghans to Safety 

Germany has once again taken in at-risk individuals from Afghanistan. A charter flight from Pakistan landed in Berlin, carrying 155 Afghan men and women. According to the German Federal Ministry of the Interior, more than half of the evacuees were admitted through the Federal Admission Program for particularly vulnerable individuals.

The remaining passengers entered Germany through other resettlement programs, including the local staff procedure, the human rights list, and the bridging program.

However, the decision to continue evacuations has sparked political debate. The Christian Democratic Union (CDU) has criticized the program, arguing that Germany should focus on deporting Afghan nationals rather than admitting more. CDU politicians have previously called for an immediate halt to these admission programs.

Despite the criticism, the Social Democratic Party (SPD) has strongly defended the initiative. SPD deputy parliamentary group leader Dirk Wiese emphasized that many of the Afghans arriving now had worked for Germany in Afghanistan. He stated, “These people supported our troops in Afghanistan. We have a responsibility to protect those who assisted the Bundeswehr, and abandoning them would be the wrong approach.”

Since the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban in August 2021, Germany has taken in more than 48,000 Afghans, including nearly 36,000 classified as particularly at risk by the government. In the lead-up to Germany’s federal elections, the Interior Ministry abruptly canceled two charter flights, officially citing logistical issues—though some suspected political motivations behind the decision.