Germany: 174 at-risk Afghans land at Hannover airport

A flight from Islamabad in Pakistan has arrived in northern Germany carrying dozens of at-risk Afghans. The German Interior Ministry said it had carried out security interviews beforehand.

A chartered airplane carrying 82 women and 92 men from Afghanistan landed at Hannover airport on Thursday afternoon, the German Interior Ministry said.

All those arriving in the northern city of Hannover had already been granted admission to Germany. The flight took off from the Pakistani city of Islamabad.

Of those on board, 74 were under 18 and of those nine were under two years old.

Thousands awaiting transfer to Germany
Germany launched its admission program in 2021 after the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan following 20 years of war.

The program provides ways for those who helped German forces or civilian organizations following the 2001 invasion. Those people and their families are considered at risk of retribution from the Taliban.
“No new admissions are being issued,” a spokesperson for the Interior Ministry said. “This is about Germany’s existing commitments.”

According to reports on ongoing coalition negotiations between the conservative Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU) and the center-left Social Democrats (SPD), the two parties have agreed to bring the admissions program to an end.

Before Thursday’s flight, there were still around 2,800 at-risk Afghans who had been granted admission to come to Germany.

Authorities underline security
The arrival comes amid increasing anti-migrant rhetoric in political spaces, a far cry from the pledges of support for Afghans after the fall of Kabul.

A series of attacks by refugees in Germany over the past months, including by Afghan perpetrators, the far-right Alternative for Germany party (AfD) vowed to ramp up deportations and crack down on migration.

The passengers on Thursday’s flight were all reportedly put through security interviews before the flight.

“Safety is the top priority in the admission process. All persons were strictly checked,” a minstry spokesperson said.

A report by broadcaster Welt said that some people who had been given admission to enter Germany were turned away shortly before the flight due to security concerns. The federal police said that at least three visas had been invalid.