A German administrative court has ordered the federal government to grant visas to an Afghan citizen and her family members, who have been granted admission promises under the federal admission program for Afghanistan. The ruling followed an expedited legal proceeding.
The applicants, Afghan nationals currently residing in Pakistan, sought visas to enter Germany. The federal admission program, initiated in October 2022, was designed to offer resettlement opportunities in Germany for particularly vulnerable Afghans and their families, with a limited number of places available.
In October 2023, the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees issued admission promises to the applicants, entitling them to be resettled in Germany. Subsequently, they applied for visas at the German embassy in Islamabad, but have not yet received them. Their lawsuit argued they were entitled to visa issuance and could no longer safely remain in Pakistan, citing the risk of deportation to Afghanistan, where they fear for their lives.
The court’s eighth chamber granted the expedited request, compelling the German government to issue the visas. While the Federal Republic retains the authority to determine the continuation or termination of the Afghan resettlement program and potentially suspend new admission promises during a review process, the court stated that previous, legally binding and non-revocable admission promises create a legal obligation.
Germany cannot simply disregard this voluntarily assumed and continuing obligation, the court reasoned and the applicants are entitled to rely on it. The court also found that the applicants fulfill all other requirements for visa issuance, noting the absence of discernible security concerns and confirmation of their identities. Furthermore, the applicants presented credible evidence suggesting a potential deportation from Pakistan to Afghanistan, posing a risk to their safety and lives.
The ruling (decision of the 8th chamber of July 7, 2025 – VG 8 L 290/25 V) is subject to appeal to the Higher Administrative Court of Berlin-Brandenburg.