After Merz became chancellor, the German government effectively halted the program and stopped flights, stranding Afghans, including women’s rights activists and LGBTQ+ individuals, in Pakistan.
“These people are praying for the German government to not stop the program,” said Baresh from her new home in a western German town near the Rhine River. “There is no other option for them. They can’t go back.”
Following the Taliban’s reconquest of Afghanistan, Western nations initially provided escape routes to vulnerable Afghans, particularly those who assisted their militaries during the two-decade war that started after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States. Germany became the third-largest destination for resettled Afghans after the U.S. and Canada. However, growing anti-immigration sentiment across the West, including in America and Germany, has led activists and experts to argue that these resettlement programs are ending prematurely.
“It’s a double hit, both to resettlement programs globally and to this specific population in Pakistan,” said Susan Fratzke, a senior policy analyst at the Migration Policy Institute.
Under pressure from the far right
Germany isn’t alone in closing its doors to Afghans seeking refuge. Earlier this year, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order suspending refugee admissions to the U.S., leaving thousands of Afghan nationals awaiting resettlement in Pakistan. This month, Trump issued a proclamation blocking Afghan nationals from traveling to the U.S.; his administration also ended temporary protected status for Afghans.
Germany is following a somewhat similar path. Facing political pressure due to the rise of the far-right, anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) — now the largest opposition party — Merz has pledged to significantly reduce the number of asylum-seekers allowed into the country. In the lead-up to Germany’s Feb. 23 snap election, a series of knife attacks partly blamed on Afghan migrants increased pressure on Merz to adopt a tougher stance on Afghan resettlement, especially as AfD politicians called for the mass deportation of Afghans and other migrants.
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