Germany Offers Cash Incentives to Afghan Asylum Seekers in Pakistan to Return Home
Germany’s Interior Ministry has launched a new initiative offering cash payments to Afghan asylum seekers residing in Pakistan as an incentive to return to Afghanistan. According to a report by the German daily ‘Die Welt’, the proposal is part of a broader ‘voluntary return’ program aimed at curbing further migration to Germany.
The report states that Afghan nationals who were temporarily admitted to Pakistan under a resettlement scheme have received letters from the German immigration authority. These letters propose a payment of €10,000 as an initial bonus for renouncing their plans to migrate to Germany and returning to Afghanistan.
In addition to this sum, an extra €2,500 is allocated to assist with the logistics of exiting Pakistan. In one specific case, a family of four was offered €2,750 upfront and an additional €11,500 upon return to Afghanistan.
A spokesperson for the German Interior Ministry confirmed the initiative in an interview with Tagesschau, saying the program aims to support individuals who no longer have a realistic prospect of being accepted in Germany. The official stated that this approach gives people a ‘realistic perspective’ on their future.
However, the move has sparked widespread criticism and raised serious concerns over the safety of returnees, particularly given the current conditions under Taliban rule in Afghanistan, which critics say have made life extremely dangerous and restrictive. At present, around 2,100 Afghan asylum seekers in Pakistan are waiting for relocation to Germany, but the new policy may complicate their path.
Critics argue that instead of addressing the root causes of the migration crisis, Germany is reducing its humanitarian responsibilities to cash payments, thereby endangering the lives of vulnerable individuals. Many of the Afghan refugees fled the country due to direct threats from the Taliban regime, and forcing them to return, they say, ignores the very real dangers these people face.
