47 Afghans flown into Hanover after months of waiting!

47 Afghans flown into Hanover after months of waiting!

On September 3, 2025, the time had come: two planes landed in Hanover with 47 people in need of protection from Afghanistan who have finally found a safe haven in Germany. These people had been waiting for months to leave, after being stuck in Pakistan and having to navigate a jungle of legal challenges. Entry was carefully organized by German authorities so that the refugees could be safely brought to Hanover via Istanbul. Particularly gratifying: among the new arrivals there are 17 women and 20 children who now have a chance at a new life.

With this arrival, the number of Afghans who have entered Germany as part of the German admission program has increased to a total of 860. The 47 people who landed belong to a larger group of around 2,350 people to whom Germany promised protection after the Taliban came to power. Many of these people campaigned for democracy and human rights in Afghanistan and have been in serious danger since taking power.

Standstill and challenges

But even if the beginning of a new phase of life is truly a ray of hope for the newcomers, the situation remains tense for many Afghans in Pakistan. Around 2,300 people with a valid acceptance letter are still waiting to leave the country. During their stay in Pakistan, some of them have to suffer from dramatic conditions - more than 450 have been arrested in the last few weeks and over 200 have been deported back to Afghanistan without documents. This is reported by the NDR and emphasizes that the federal government is obliged to implement the admission commitments made, which several administrative courts have decided.

The raids taking place in Pakistan are not making the situation any better. Against this background, the Union is planning a renewed, individual review of the admission commitments that have already been made for the Afghans at risk. This demand caused a furor and was described as an “affront” by the former head of case processing at the coordination office. The coordination office was responsible for selecting refugee Afghans until the end of 2024 and worked according to a strict procedure.

A look at the future

Uncertainty remains high. The federal government is currently examining how the current admission procedures can be carried out, as can be read on the federal admission program website. Around 45,000 particularly vulnerable Afghans have the prospect of being accepted into Germany, including more than 25,100 former local workers. These people are particularly at risk because of their cooperation with Western states, their political views or their gender identity.

Entries from the German admission process in Pakistan are currently suspended until the final examination. This also leaves behind numerous Lucerne residents who have been waiting for months for visas to be issued. However, the difficult security situation has also led to the Federal Ministry of the Interior withdrawing BAMF employees who are responsible for processing the cases. Such a development is a further signal of the tense situation on site.

So it remains to be seen when the next Afghans will be allowed to travel to Germany. Those who landed, on the other hand, face a new, hopeful challenge: to find their way in their new living environment and perhaps seize the opportunity to shape their own lives again.