Germany Resumes Evacuation Flights for Vulnerable Afghans

A charter flight carrying 155 Afghans, including former local staff and their families, has landed in Berlin, reigniting political debate over the program.

The German government resumed its evacuation program for vulnerable Afghans, with a flight from Islamabad carrying 155 people, including women, children, and former local staff who assisted German forces.
Over half of the passengers were part of the federal program for highly vulnerable individuals, while others entered through separate initiatives such as the local staff procedure and human rights list.
The program has faced sharp criticism from CDU politicians, who advocate for deportations to Afghanistan rather than further evacuations; SPD and Green leaders defended the program as fulfilling Germany's moral obligations.
Approximately 3,000 Afghans with approved visas remain in Pakistan, facing uncertain conditions as their temporary visas near expiration and deportations to Afghanistan increase.
Since the Taliban's return to power in 2021, Germany has provided safe haven to over 48,000 Afghans, with costs for the program significantly exceeding initial estimates.