Germany Has to Let Thousands of Afghan Migrants in, Court Rules
12th July 2025
Germany’s highest administrative court has dealt a major blow to the government’s migration policies, ruling that Berlin must grant entry visas to thousands of Afghan migrants.
Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul confirmed that the ruling is “legally binding,” therefore Germany has to “honour its promises.”
The decision follows a landmark case brought by an Afghan woman and her family, who were guaranteed relocation to Germany under the federal resettlement programme in October 2023 but have since been stranded in Pakistan.
The programme was introduced by the previous, leftist government which issued visas to Afghans at risk after the Taliban seized power in 2021.
More than 36,000 Afghans have entered Germany through these programmes, most of them via Pakistan.
While the initiative was intended for former local staff of the German army and other high-risk groups, internal government reports show that the system was exploited on a large scale, as the government allowed thousands of migrants to enter Germany with fake documents and fabricated stories.