Updated
Updated · DW (English) · Jul 25
Germany Court Blocks Revocation of 640 Afghan Admissions, Orders Case-by-Case Reviews
Updated
Updated · DW (English) · Jul 25

Germany Court Blocks Revocation of 640 Afghan Admissions, Orders Case-by-Case Reviews

3 articles · Updated · DW (English) · Jul 25

Summary

  • Germany’s Constitutional Court ruled the Interior Ministry could not cancel roughly 640 promised Afghan admissions en masse, siding with a woman and her two children left in Pakistan.
  • The judges said once Germany notifies someone they will be admitted, officials must examine individual circumstances before withdrawing that promise; a blanket reversal breached the constitutional ban on arbitrary state action.
  • The ruling targets a December 2025 policy shift by the ministry, which scrapped humanitarian admissions pledged after the Taliban’s 2021 return to power and left hundreds stranded for years.
  • The court sent the case back to the Higher Administrative Court and ordered Berlin to keep supporting affected Afghans in Pakistan until they are admitted or their cases are lawfully reviewed.

Insights

Why did Germany's highest court block the government's attempt to abandon hundreds of promised Afghan refugees stranded in Pakistan?
Could a single mother's lawsuit force Germany to honor refugee pledges despite rising national security fears over identity fraud?