An Afghan family residing in Pakistan, whose names were not given due to fears of reprisal from the Taliban, told German public broadcaster ARD that they have filed a lawsuit against the government.
The family is suing, they said, because they have been waiting for over 18 months for a visa they are legally entitled to.
The main plaintiff, assigned the pseudonym Aisha by ARD, is a writer and scientist who is well known to Berlin due to her function in the Afghan government before the Taliban swept back to power in 2021.
In October 2023, the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) agreed to take in Aisha and 13 of her relatives, including many small children. After many months of sending documents and security interviews, Aisha says they were told they were approved in March.
However, they were never given an appointment to go pick up their visas, and repeated attempts at obtaining one were rebuffed, she says.
Aisha and her family also face the looming threat of deportation from Pakistan, where their visas have already run out. Because Germany has no diplomatic ties with the Taliban, Afghans must travel to Islambad to apply for German visas.
According to ARD, some 2,500 Afghans are waiting on similar procedures. Newly elected Chancellor Friedrich Merz made curbing immigration a cornerstone of his campaign. He has already ordered tighter controls at the country’s borders and has begunturning away some asylum seekers.
He has also signaled a desire to completely stop the federal program assisting Afghans fleeing Taliban repression. Many of his policies have come under hefty criticism, including that they may violate both German and EU law.
