Germany has refused visas to more than 30 Afghan families awaiting relocation from Pakistan after individual reviews of their cases. According to information from the Federal Interior Ministry presented to the Bundestag interior committee, 32 cases have so far been decided — all of them negative. About 80 families, roughly 500 people, remain in shelters run by Germany's international cooperation agency (GIZ) in Pakistan.
The decisions follow a 22 July 2026 ruling by Germany's Federal Constitutional Court. In a complaint brought by an Afghan mother and her two minor sons, the court found that the government's blanket cancellation of admission assurances under the humanitarian "Human Rights List" programme was unlawful and that each case must be considered individually. The court did not order Germany to issue visas automatically; it required only an individualised review.
In December 2025 the German government cancelled admission assurances for about 640 Afghans who had not yet travelled. Around 500 still await decisions. Those waiting include former judges, former intelligence personnel and women's rights activists who could face persecution under ا.ا.ا rule if returned to Afghanistan.
Rejected applicants face pressure to accept return payments within five days and to waive appeals. German legal associations had already warned that the review process must genuinely weigh each applicant's circumstances. A German parliamentarian told the media that a 100 percent rejection rate raised fears the individual reviews were only for show.
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