Why is Germany Offering Euros to Afghan Refugees in Pakistan?
BERLIN/ISLAMABAD: German authorities are offering cash incentives to Afghan refugees in Pakistan who agree to withdraw from a resettlement programme previously promised under Berlin’s protection scheme, according to activists from the group Airbridge Kabul.
The scheme, launched by the former German government, was intended to relocate Afghans who worked with German forces or were deemed at risk from the Taliban — including journalists, lawyers, and human rights defenders. However, around 2,000 refugees remain stranded in Pakistan since Chancellor Friedrich Merz froze the programme after taking office in May 2025.
Airbridge Kabul said refugees recently received letters offering them financial support in exchange for exiting the programme. For a single woman, the offer includes an initial €1,500 (about $1,700) in Pakistan and an additional €5,000 if she returns to Afghanistan or relocates to a third country.
A spokesperson for Germany’s interior ministry confirmed “offers within the framework of a voluntary return programme to Afghanistan or departure to another third country.”
Activists say the move has provoked shock and despair among refugees. “I don’t want money or bread, I just want to live in safety,” one refugee reportedly told Airbridge Kabul.
The controversy comes amid Pakistan’s ongoing crackdown on undocumented Afghans. Over the summer, more than 200 refugees enrolled in the German scheme were deported, despite assurances that deportations would be halted until year’s end.
While some refugees have managed to reach Germany through court rulings, many remain uncertain about their fate as bureaucratic delays persist into 2025.
