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Germany to limit number of Afghan refugees to 5,000
German authorities are planning to cap the number of Afghan refugees who will be allowed entry into Germany to 5,000 per year.
German Interior Ministry is considering the move in order to keep the programme operationally feasible, German news magazine Der Spiegel said as reported by SchengenVisaInfo.com.
Over 18,800 Afghans entered Germany since the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) returned to power in August last year, according to Germany’s Interior Ministry.
However, more than 10,000 persons who have been granted admission by the German authorities continue to remain in the country, Info Migrants reported.
The acceptance rate has also fallen in other EU countries.
The European statistics provider, Eurostat, stated that the number of acceptances in the EU decreased by five per cent in 2021 compared to 2020.
According to Eurostat, nationals of Afghanistan remained the second main citizenship of first-time asylum applications for the third year in a row. They accounted for 16 per cent of the EU total, or 83,520.
This comes amid reports that German authorities are displacing existing Afghan refugees from accommodation centers in order to make way for those coming from Ukraine.
Zalmay Khalilzad, the former US special representative for Afghanistan, has questioned Pakistan’s commitment to the welfare of the Afghan people, citing Islamabad’s policies over the past three decades.
Khalilzad said in a post on X that Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif advocated for the rights of Afghan women during his speech at the UN General Assembly on Friday.
Sharif said: “Fundamental rights of the Afghan people — especially women and girls — must be respected.”
Responding to the remarks, Khalilzad said Pakistan’s policies over the past 30 years raise questions about Sharif’s commitment to Afghan welfare.
He cited Pakistan’s support for militant groups against US forces and what he described as the poor treatment of Afghan refugees as examples.
Khalilzad also said Afghanistan and Pakistan need and should have much better relations, adding that “a reset is necessary.”
India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met with the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Rabab Fatima, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X that Misri underscored the need to keep addressing the humanitarian needs of the Afghan people as a priority.
Misri also appreciated the role of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and reaffirmed India’s continued cooperation with the United Nations on Afghanistan.
The meeting comes as Afghanistan continues to face humanitarian and economic challenges, with international agencies warning of significant needs among the Afghan population.
Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi has called for pragmatic and coordinated international engagement with Afghanistan, saying the country’s long-term stability is closely linked to the security and sustainable development of Central Asia.
Speaking during the general debate of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Friday, Tileuberdi said humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan remains essential but alone cannot break the cycle of poverty, displacement and dependency.
He said Kazakhstan supports a “pragmatic, coordinated and step-by-step” approach to international engagement with Afghanistan, with the United Nations playing a central role.
Tileuberdi also said Kazakhstan is working with the UN to operationalize the United Nations Regional Centre for the Sustainable Development Goals for Central Asia and Afghanistan in Almaty.
He said the success of the centre should be measured by the results and assistance it delivers to the region.
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