Germany Cannot Revoke Afghan Admissions, Court Rules

The German Constitutional Court has ruled that the government cannot revoke around 640 promised resettlement places for Afghans without conducting individual assessments.

The judges upheld a complaint filed by an Afghan mother and her two sons, who had been placed on an admissions list created in 2021 after the Taliban returned to power. In December 2025, however, the Interior Ministry ended the program and withdrew around 640 admission commitments without reviewing the individual cases.

The court found that this violated the constitutional ban on arbitrary state action. It said that although the government has broad discretion over admissions policy, it cannot exercise that discretion arbitrarily. Once authorities have formally informed someone that they will be admitted to Germany, any subsequent revocation must take their individual circumstances into account, the court said.

The case will now return to the relevant higher administrative court for reconsideration. The family is currently in Pakistan and is receiving financial support from Germany. Under the ruling, the government must continue providing that support until visas are issued or a new decision is made in accordance with constitutional requirements.

(Reuters, Lud)