Germany’s migration debate flared on Thursday as a flight of 138 people who fled Afghanistan and are classified as vulnerable landed in Germany.
Chancellor-in-waiting ‘s center-right Christian Democrats (CDU) accused the of rushing through so-called admission flights ahead of a change of government and fueling support for the far right.
But authorities pointed out that those on the flight had , and advocates stressed Berlin’s humanitarian obligations toward those were now in danger in Afghanistan because they had worked for the German military or other German institutions before the Taliban’s takeover of Kabul.
What do we know about the admission flight?
German Interior Ministry figures showed that 45 of those on board the flight were children and young people, and of the remaining adults 76 were female and 62 were male.
The Foreign Office said the passengers were people from various programs who had received a legally binding admission promise.
The plane, chartered by the federal government, took off from the Pakistani capital, Islamabad.
“In these cases, there are concrete, past admission promises from Germany,” emphasizes a spokesman for the Interior Ministry. No new promises would be made.
The spokesman emphasized that security was the top priority for such admissions and that each individual would be screened accordingly before possible entry.
Three flights landed in Germany in February and March. Several similar flights had previously taken place this year, bringing a total of 461 people from Afghanistan. Planes landed in Berlin on February 25 and March 5, and .
Those arriving include the former staff of German institutions in Afghanistan and their relatives, as well as Afghans at risk of persecution by the Taliban. Some, for example, had previously campaigned for human rights as lawyers or journalists.
According to the Federal Foreign Office, around 2,600 particularly vulnerable people from Afghanistan are currently waiting in Pakistan to be admitted to Germany.
What have politicians said about such flights?
An end to such flights is envisaged in a new coalition package agreed by the conservative / bloc and the center-left .
“We will end voluntary federal admission programs as far as possible and not launch any new programs,” said CDU domestic affairs expert Alexander Throm, pointing out the agreement details.
Acting Foreign Minister , a Green politician, was taking preemptive action before the new federal government took office, he told German broadcaster ARD.
Jens Spahn, deputy chairman of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group told the broadcaster ZDF that the flights would whip up support for the far-right .
“Every plane from Afghanistan is a stronger AfD support program than any chairmanship of any committee could be,” he said, referring to the AfD’s exclusion from parliamentary committee chairmanships.
Former Bundestag President Bärbel Bas (SPD) did not rule out the possibility of Germany accepting more people from Afghanistan after the change of power, referring to legal issues and possible agreements with allies.
She added that helping those who have put their necks on the line for Germany was right, referring to the former local staff.
Green Party politician Konstantin von Notz defended the flights. “We are talking about people who have undergone extremely intensive security checks by several German authorities. They have a legally binding acceptance agreement from Germany,” he told the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland.
To stifle the program, he said, would mean “knowingly breaking commitments and throwing humanity overboard.”
“Such Trumpism must have no place in Germany,” said von Notz, alluding to the policies of US President .
The CDU’s Merz has promised to crack down on irregular arrivals and ramp up deportations after the AfD parties rode a wave of anti-migrant sentiment in to emerge as the second-largest party in parliament.
Edited by: Zac Crellin
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