Afghan Asylum Seekers Reject Germany’s Cash Offer to Renounce Entry Rights
A group of Afghan asylum seekers who have received official acceptance letters from Germany’s Federal Office for Migration and Refugees have publicly rejected a financial offer aimed at encouraging them to forgo their right to enter the country. In an open letter addressed to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and several government institutions, the group denounced the proposal as ‘immoral and degrading,’ claiming it contradicts Berlin’s initial promises.
The plan—proposed by German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt—offers financial compensation to asylum seekers with official approvals in exchange for voluntarily giving up their opportunity to travel to and reside in Germany. The letter’s signatories argue that the initiative is not only blatantly unjust but also disregards the life-threatening risks they face.
‘We are not fleeing poverty, but violence, fear, and death,’ the letter states. The authors assert that returning to Afghanistan—now under Taliban rule—would be tantamount to a death sentence. They describe Germany’s financial incentive as deeply troubling, especially coming from a nation that claims to uphold human rights.
The refugees warn that the policy could undermine Germany’s moral and legal obligations. They call on the German government to accelerate the relocation and resettlement process and to honor the commitments already made, rather than bargaining over people’s safety.
