ISLAMABAD: Afghan refugees, who fled their homeland after the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, now find themselves in limbo in Pakistan as Germany suspends its humanitarian admission programme.
The programme, which began in 2022, aimed to offer asylum to vulnerable Afghans, including women and human rights activists, but it has now been put on hold indefinitely.
One such refugee is 25-year-old Kimia, an artist and women’s rights advocate, who fled Afghanistan in 2024 after being accepted into Germany’s admission programme. A year later, Kimia remains stuck in Pakistan, her hopes of moving to Germany dashed as the programme was suspended following a change in Germany’s government. She, like many others, had been awaiting a life-changing interview with the German embassy, only to see it cancelled in April.
Kimia, along with other refugees in Pakistan, now faces an uncertain future. “All my life comes down to this interview,” she says, expressing the deep frustration and despair shared by many of the 2,400 Afghan refugees who are waiting to travel to Germany. Thousands more are in the early stages of application, with little to no clarity on their future.
The suspension of the programme follows a shift in Germany’s political landscape. The new centre-right coalition, which came into power in May, expressed concerns over the country’s capacity to absorb migrants, especially after the surge of asylum seekers in previous years. As of early 2025, Germany’s approval rate for Afghan asylum applicants has decreased significantly, dropping from 74% in 2024 to 52%.
Despite these political changes, refugees like Kimia remain in Pakistan, where they are provided room, food, and medical care.
However, they face the harsh reality of being stuck in a state of uncertainty. Many, like Kimia, feel their dreams slipping away with every passing day. “If I go back, I can’t follow my dreams,” she explains. “I can’t work, I can’t study. It’s like you just breathe, but you don’t live.”
This situation mirrors that of Mohammad Mojib Razayee, 30, who also fled Afghanistan due to the Taliban’s threats. After applying for asylum in Germany, his application was rejected, despite his clear vulnerability. Razayee’s case is a reflection of the inconsistencies in the asylum process, with some cases being rejected without clear justification, leading to frustration and uncertainty among refugees.
Meanwhile, refugees in Pakistan continue to wait for a resolution to their situation, with no clear timeline for when they will be able to move forward. As the political climate in Germany changes, the hopes of these refugees hang in the balance, as they continue to struggle in a foreign land, far from home and safety.
