Sächsische Innenminister Armin Schuster (CDU) reacts to further charter flights for allegedly endangered Afghans to Germany. In a statement to dpa, Schuster said, “A political decency requires a governing federal government to exercise restraint and not intensify something for which the new federal government is known not to stand.” Schuster criticized Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Grüne) for conducting “massively polarizing actions in rapid succession” before her departure, calling it “infamous and utterly misguided.” According to a spokesperson for the ministry, there are still three charter flights planned in this month for Afghan refugees from Pakistan to Germany. The flights aim to bring both former Afghan “local forces” and allegedly particularly endangered individuals, such as human rights lawyers, to Germany. The outgoing federal government emphasized that the acceptance of Afghan refugees who have been deemed “at risk” are legally binding and must be complied with. All affected individuals are said to undergo a strict security check before their arrival. However, no further acceptance agreements will be granted “for the time being.” On March 10, a spokesperson from the Foreign Office announced that there are still acceptance agreements for approximately 2,600 Afghan refugees in Germany. All previously made acceptance agreements are considered legally binding by the federal government. Schuster argued that with the acceptance programs, only a few individuals may come, but these people will face overburdened cities and communities in terms of financing and accommodation, making successful integration impossible. The large number of family members accompanying the identified refugees also demonstrates that this program has gotten out of control. Schuster criticized the Foreign Office under Baerbock’s leadership for using “the few and complicated diplomatic options with the Taliban to bring thousands of people to Germany instead of trying to repatriate individuals who have lost their right to hospitality due to multiple and intensive offenses or openly Islamist beliefs.” The Union faction, which recently approved a record-breaking debt of one trillion euros, thanked the outgoing Bundestag and particularly the Greens for their support and called for the Foreign Office to stop flying people in from Afghanistan until a new federal government is formed.
Baerbock’s Last-Minute Afghan Rescue Flights Ignite Controversy
