In an open letter, more than 50 celebrities have said Federal Government called for all Afghans who have previously been accepted to be admitted to Germany to be brought to Germany. “Allow them to enter Germany and thereby save their lives,” says the letter, which was published by the Kabul Airlift organization. This would be “an act of humanity.”
“Now there are only a few days left over Christmas to act before it could be too late for some,” the signatories appeal in the letter, which is addressed to Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU), Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) and Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (CDU).
It was signed by, among others, the television presenter Günther Jauch, the Nobel Prize winner for literature Herta Müller and the musician Herbert Grönemeyer. Satirist and presenter Jan Böhmermann also took part, as did climate protection activist Luisa Neubauer. The refugee representative of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD), Berlin Bishop Christian Stäblein, and the general manager of the Joint Association, Joachim Rock, also signed the letter.
Commitment to democracy and human rights
“We take the liberty of reminding you of your oath of office in which you vowed to exercise ‘justice against all,'” the letter said. “We ask you: See the approximately 1,800 Afghan women and men, the children and families, people who must now receive such justice. They did nothing wrong – but they trusted in us.”
These people would have as local staff of the Bundeswehr and for German organizations worked or otherwise advocated for democracy and human rights, the authors write. They are calling on the federal government to allow the Afghans remaining in Pakistan to enter and thereby save their lives. Germany should show that it is a reliable state.
Hundreds are threatened with deportation
Specifically, the demands are about people from Afghanistan who, among other things, worked as local staff for Germany before the radical Islamic Taliban came to power. Four years ago, the federal government at the time assured particularly vulnerable people that they would be accepted into Germany. The Union and the SPD agreed in the coalition agreement However, to set recording programs as much as possible. However, after lawsuits, courts established the right of individuals to be admitted with a binding commitment.
With the turn of the year, many Afghans are now threatened with deportation to their country of origin: by then, Pakistan had given Germany an ultimatum to complete their admission. The Pakistani government had already deported more than 200 affected Afghans in September.
According to the federal government, many of those affected can no longer count on a visa for Germany. In the case of around 640 Afghans The federal government withdrew its admission commitment in mid-December. The final rejection was justified by the fact that “there is no longer any political interest in accepting it.”
