Pakistani authorities detained Afghans in Islamabad in its latest crackdown on refugees from the country, including some who were set for relocation to Germany, police confirmed on Thursday.

The arrests have drawn reactions from Berlin, with some of those sent to deportation centers already approved for relocation under Germany's admissions program as they flee the Taliban.

Who is Pakistan seeking to deport?

Police in Islamabad said the group includes people registered in German programs, such as former local staff and others deemed at risk after the Taliban takeover in 2021. It was not clear how many such people were among those arrested.

After the withdrawal of German troops, Germany had promised refuge from the Taliban to local staff who had supported Germany, as well as other Afghans facing persecution who fled to Pakistan. Some 2,400 of these people are now in Pakistan and hoping to leave for Germany. Among them, according to the German Interior Ministry, are about 350 former local staff of German institutions and their families.

People in the region told the Reuters news agency that some have already been taken to the border region and even to Afghanistan.

Witnesses described night raids on multiple guesthouses, saying entire families were taken away.

"Seven families were arrested from my guesthouse alone," one owner told the DPA news agency.

The advocacy group Kabul Luftbrücke ("Kabul air bridge") said families have been split up, with minors removed from parents. For example, two sisters aged 17 and 18 were reportedly arrested without their family and taken to Afghanistan.

"The German Embassy in Islamabad is apparently unable to effectively protect those affected," the group said in a statement.

Those affected include a family for whom the Berlin Administrative Court had already issued a positive emergency ruling. 

Reporters Without Borders urged Berlin to secure the release of an Afghan journalist with a German admission promise, saying "Germany must act now."

Why is this happening now?

Pakistan began mass deportations of undocumented Afghans in late 2023 and extended the policy to registered individuals in April 2024.

Officials in Islamabad say the plan is to remove up to 3 million Afghans, arguing that the policy is needed to put pressure on the Taliban government.

Human rights advocates warn of serious danger for returnees, including possible retaliation for perceived acts against the Taliban as it was fighting its insurgency.

What has Germany said about the arrests?

When asked whether people who had already been deported to Afghanistan were now being brought back, German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said there was contact with these individuals through the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) and that they were receiving support.

He added that each case would be examined for whether there was a legally binding obligation to admit them.

The Interior Ministry has confirmed awareness of the detentions and said it has told Pakistan about detainees who are part of German programs.

"We have a very close eye on the fact that in Pakistan," Dobrindt said. "The return of Afghans to Afghanistan is being accelerated."

He said "in the vast majority of cases" there is still currently no entry permit for Germany, and whether one will be granted "cannot be said today."

Opposition Greens and Left critical of German government

The Greens' Schahina Gambir called Pakistan's deportations "a scandal" and said "for months the federal government has been ignoring their legally confirmed need for protection."

Clara Bünger of the socialist Left party described the situation as "immense inhumanity" and said "now action must be taken immediately: issue visas, stop deportations."

Kabul Luftbrücke said it has 15 court rulings confirming individuals' right to admission, but that "appeals by the federal government often delay visa issuance."

Rights groups and opposition parties continue to press for immediate visas and the safe return of those already deported.

Edited by Sean Sinico