On Monday, September 1, 2025, Germany welcomed a long-delayed group of Afghan nationals as part of its renewed evacuation efforts. A total of 45 asylum seekers, comprising ten families, including eight women and two men, landed at Hanover Airport aboard a flight from Istanbul, having previously been stranded for months in Pakistan. Their arrival marked the first successful transfer under revived procedures that had been stalled following a freeze in Germany’s humanitarian admission program. For the families, the moment was filled with relief, with one mother describing how much it meant for her daughters to live in a society where girls could go to school, study, and integrate, while her 20-year-old daughter expressed joy at finally reaching “a good life” after enduring difficulties and uncertainty.
These individuals had initially fled Afghanistan after the Taliban seized control in 2021, seeking shelter in Pakistan while awaiting German protection. Germany had launched its Afghan admission scheme in October 2022 to assist those facing particular danger, including people who had worked with German institutions, human rights defenders, and women at risk. However, in May 2025, Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s conservative government abruptly froze the program, citing concerns about migration management and integration capacity. That decision left thousands of Afghans in limbo, unable to travel despite already being approved for visas. Many remained in precarious conditions in Pakistan, which itself was ramping up deportations of undocumented Afghans.
Mounting legal challenges soon forced the German government to act. Rights groups, including PRO ASYL and Patenschaftsnetzwerk Ortskräfte, sued the government, arguing that Berlin was legally bound to uphold its commitments to those who had already been granted entry. In July, a German court ruled that the state must honor visa obligations, even if the broader humanitarian program was being phased out. This ruling compelled German authorities to resume processing and dispatch officials to Pakistan to verify documents and arrange travel. The renewed arrivals of September 1, therefore, represent not just a humanitarian act but also the enforcement of legal responsibility.
The urgency of the situation was heightened by Pakistan’s own policy shift. Islamabad had set a September 1 deadline for the deportation of thousands of Afghan nationals, threatening to send even those with approved German visas back into Taliban-ruled Afghanistan. Humanitarian organizations warned that this exposed vulnerable people, particularly women, former aid workers, and minority groups, to severe risks of persecution. Germany’s decision to restart evacuations was in part a response to this pressure, aimed at preventing deportations before transfers could be completed. According to aid groups, over 2,000 Afghans with German approval remain in Pakistan, highlighting the scale of the task that still lies ahead.
The recent flight is therefore significant not only for the families on board but also as a test of Germany’s ability to reconcile domestic political debates with international commitments. The Merz government has pledged to take a tougher stance on migration, yet it has also faced diplomatic pressure from allies and legal pressure at home to avoid abandoning those who risked their lives alongside German institutions in Afghanistan. The resumption of arrivals is being seen as a compromise allowing at least those already approved to enter, while broader questions about the future of the humanitarian admission program remain unresolved.
At the human level, the arrivals underscore the struggles that Afghan families have faced since 2021. Many endured long waits in Pakistan without legal status, access to education, or secure livelihoods, while fearing forced deportation. For them, Germany represents a chance not just for safety, but for dignity, education, and opportunity. As one mother at Hanover Airport explained, the prospect of her daughters being able to attend school again was the greatest relief of all. For policymakers, however, the episode is a reminder of the ongoing responsibility Germany bears toward those it pledged to protect, and the challenges of fulfilling that responsibility amid political divides and migration pressures across Europe.
