Every day counts: The Protestant Church is calling for the rapid entry of all endangered Afghans with a promise of admission to Germany who are currently stuck in Pakistan. This involves around 2,300 people.
Hanover/Dresden (KNA) The Protestant Church in Germany (EKD) is calling for the immediate entry of all Afghans who are stuck in Pakistan and have been granted asylum in Germany. “In view of the ongoing deportations from Pakistan to Afghanistan, literally every day counts to evacuate these people as quickly as possible and save them from the Taliban,” explained Tobias Bilz, Deputy Chairman of the EKD Council and Bishop of Saxony, on Wednesday.
“It is good news that, following legal pressure, the first local Afghan forces and their families will be coming to Germany,” said Bilz. “As a Protestant church, we believe it is essential that the German government also brings all of the remaining 2,300 or so local staff with a promise of admission to safety.” These people had worked for the Bundeswehr and German organisations for years, risking their lives in the process. Germany has promised them protection.
First Afghans to arrive in the next few days
At the beginning of the week, the German government ended its months-long ban on accepting Afghans at risk who had been promised entry – not least due to legal pressure. According to the Ministry of the Interior, those affected, for whom Germany has been obliged to issue visas and authorise entry by legally binding court orders, are now to enter the country successively. As the German newspaper “Welt” reported on Tuesday, citing government circles, the first Afghan families are due to arrive on a scheduled flight in the next few days.
