A diplomatic dispute has escalated between the German and Pakistani governments following the expiration of an ultimatum regarding the status of approximately 2,500 Afghan citizens residing in Islamabad.
According to sources within diplomatic circles reported by “Welt am Sonntag” Islamabad has repeatedly urged Berlin since the end of 2024 to resolve issues within various Afghan resettlement programs.
Since the Taliban takeover in the summer of 2021, Germany has pledged to accept tens of thousands of Afghans, initially directing them to travel to Islamabad for further processing and verification before direct relocation.
The protracted duration of this process – currently averaging eight months for a finalized approval-coupled with the three-month validity of Pakistani visas, has resulted in numerous individuals overstaying their visas and becoming undocumented.
Initial deadlines for clearing guest houses rented by GIZ, a German development agency, were extended from March 1st to June 4th, but this extension did not coincide with the resolution of pending cases.
In the days preceding the latest deadline, Pakistani authorities reportedly initiated searches within the guest houses, detaining Afghan citizens whose visas had expired. GIZ personnel alerted the German embassy, which subsequently intervened to prevent deportations – frequently with success.
However, sources indicate that Pakistani police have significantly intensified operations against the German resettlement program. A person familiar with the situation in Islamabad described the environment as “chaotic” emphasizing the distressing impact on the individuals involved regardless of one’s views on the resettlement programs.
The German Foreign Ministry stated in response to inquiries from “Welt am Sonntag” that the “residence situation” of Afghan citizens has deteriorated since autumn 2023 and tightened further since early April 2025. They affirmed ongoing “close and high-level contact” with the Pakistani government to prevent the deportation of Afghans with valid resettlement pledges who are in Islamabad for visa verification purposes.
Investigations by “Welt am Sonntag” reveal that approximately 150 Afghan citizens with resettlement pledges have been transferred to detention centers, with their current whereabouts in some cases remain unclear.
In a unique response to such incidents, German authorities have been working to courier passports to the Afghan side of the border, enabling individuals to re-enter Pakistan legally once they are in possession of their documentation.