Two years ago, Western troops withdrew from Afghanistan after 20 years of military intervention. After taking power on August 15, 2021 the Islamic fundamentalist Taliban resumed their inhumane and misogynist rule, which the NATO troops set out to eradicate back in 2001.
After the Taliban takeover, German nationals and other foreigners were evacuated to safety, while Afghan employees of German institutions, were left behind. They are now facing persecution, imprisonment and worse. The same applies to those who – often at the risk of their lives – campaigned for democracy, equality and human rights.
Until shortly before the Taliban took power, Germany delayed the evacuation of local staff and pushed for deportations to Afghanistan. In autumn 2021, the newly elected federal government pledged to make admissions of vulnerable Afghans a priority and not to repeat past mistakes. Two years after the Taliban took power, the reality looks somewhat different.
The coalition agreement announced a federal admissions program, allowing a safe passage to Germany for 1000 endangered Afghan citizens every month. Until today, not a single person has reached Germany through the program.
Until today, the procedure for admitting local employees has not been reformed, contrary to the promises made in the coalition agreement.
Until today, more than 14,000 Afghans are waiting for an appointment at a German embassy in order to exercise their right to family reunification with their spouses, parents or underage children in Germany. As of now, most will have to wait for years.
To this day, endangered single women with a German acceptance letter are still blocked from reaching a German embassy because the Taliban forbid them to travel without a male companion and the federal government is unable to find a remedy.
Again and again Germany justified its mission in Afghanistan with the protection of human and women’s rights. That the Taliban put their inhuman ideology into practice is no surprise. That the German government does not keep its promise to protect people from this terror is a disgrace.
Kabul Luftbruecke has helped over 3,600 people to safely exit Afghanistan over the past two years. In order to keep on going and further fulfill our responsibility towards Afghanistan, we need your help.
