At present, it seems justified to ask whether Germany, and particularly its likely incoming coalition government, still feels bound by promises to give shelter to people from Afghanistan who are in particular danger of harm from the country's radical Islamist Taliban rulers.

The spokesman for the outgoing Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, Sebastian Fischer, denied reports that two planes would soon arrive in Germany with passengers including local staff who formerly worked for the German army in Afghanistan.

Fischer contradicted earlier reports by several newspapers and news agencies, saying, "I cannot confirm that there were two flights planned."

"The planning for such flights is extremely complex. But I can say that according to the latest information, no flight is planned in the next two weeks for the reception of Afghans who are at particular risk," he added.

Taliban risk for local staff, former government workers

After the Taliban took power in Afghanistan, Germany promised to make it possible for people whose safety was in danger to come to Germany with their families. The German Bundeswehr had left Afghanistan by the end of June after its troops had tried to maintain stability there for many years in collaboration with other Western allies.

The new Taliban rulers kept a keen eye on so-called local staff in particular, including translators and technicians who had worked for the German army. But they also had it in for people actively involved in cultural, economic, scientific and academic fields and those who had worked for the former government.

36,300 Afghans accepted under special schemes

According to figures from Germany's Foreign Ministry, some 36,300 Afghans have so far come to Germany under the relevant schemes, including almost 20,800 locally employed staff.

But around 2,600 people are still waiting in Islamabad in neighboring Pakistan, as there is no longer a German diplomatic mission in Afghanistan itself.

In Pakistan, they are housed in guest apartments belonging to the German government while they undertake seemingly interminable visa applications and security checks. And they now face an uncertain future, even though many of them have received firm promises from German authorities that they can come to Germany.

Facing mortal danger in Afghanistan

One of them is Khadija Salehi, a former state prosecutor. "First of all, we thank Germany that it is supporting us financially and helping us with accommodation and food," she told DW. "But, of course, we have many problems. One example is the uncertainty surrounding the future of our children and our own future. I have been in a precarious situation here for almost 17 months."

"We, my friends and I, have been waiting for two years or more for clarity about our situation. All those involved in this process are people whose lives are in danger in Afghanistan," she added.

This impression was confirmed by Fischer, the Foreign Ministry spokesman.

"I would like to point out that the people who are staying in Pakistan have often completely pulled up stakes in Afghanistan and sold all their belongings after receiving a promise of acceptance. And in our view, these people have a right to protection of their legitimate expectations."

Division in Germany as new government set to take power

But now, a heated debate over their fate has erupted in Germany. In their coalition agreement, the center-right Christian Democrats (CDU) and Christian Social Union (CSU) and also the center-left Social Democrats (SPD) stated that acceptance schemes, including the one for Afghans at particular risk, should be ended "as far as possible."

The parliamentary secretary of the conservative CDU/CSU bloc, Thorsten Frei, has said that the new federal interior minister would assess those affected on a case-by-case basis. He said they would explore whether and which promises of acceptance made to Afghans at risk can be taken back.

The short election campaign at the start of the year was partly influenced by several murders, some which have been blamed on asylum seekers from Afghanistan. In view of these attacks, conservative lawmakers from the CDU and the CSU in particular insisted on a new, much more restrictive asylum and migration policy.

However, Ralf Stegner, the foreign affairs expert of the SPD, the future junior coalition partner,  said: "Promises are promises." He told the daily Rheinische Post that the idea of withdrawing promises of sheltering in Germany was "not a path Germany could take".

Just some 10 days ago, a plane carrying 138 Afghans who had been given such promises landed in the eastern German city of Leipzig. Germany's biggest tabloid, Bild, reported that only 4,800 of the 36,300 Afghan refugees in Germany had undergone complete security vetting — a figure confirmed by the Interior Ministry.

Concerns about security had already been fueling doubts about the reception schemes, particularly on the part of conservative politicians. Foreign Ministry spokesman Fischer said, however, that at no point had people come to Germany without security checks, although he conceded that those checks had become more rigorous since 2021.

People 'left in the lurch,' says aid organization

Eva Beyer from the aid organization Kabul Luftbrücke (Kabul Air Bridge) is of the view that if Germany does not take in any more people from Afghanistan, it will lose the trust of the international community.

She told DW: "Our government, both the old and the new one, is just showing the world what German promises are worth. German missions throughout the world, whether humanitarian, economic or military in nature, do not function at all without the help of local personnel. And what we are seeing now is that people who assisted our efforts are being left in the lurch."

 Other human rights organizations have also warned against completely cutting the reception schemes.

This article was originally written in German.

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