Afghanistan, the Taliban and German promises
Five years after the Taliban swept back into power, it is hard to know which promise from German politicians the "local staff" — Afghans who assisted German efforts in the country — relied on most. Perhaps that from then-Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, who on August 26, 2021, 11 days after the Taliban took power, said: "Our work continues until all those for whom we carry responsibility in Afghanistan are safe."
By June 2026, more than 37,000 Afghan nationals had arrived in Germany since the Taliban retook power. These are people who worked alongside Germany's Bundeswehr armed forces or German aid programs, plus their relatives. It also includes people who are especially at risk, such as activists and journalists who advocated for human rights and against the Taliban.
For Ahmad Samid, who worked for the Bundeswehr as an audio engineer, Germany kept its promise. For Javad Niazi, who worked for the Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), it did not. He remains stuck in the city of Peshawar in Pakistan. Both are using false names because they still fear the Taliban and possible repercussions for themselves and their families.
Hundreds still waiting
Samid works as a receptionist at a hotel in a large German city. He told Deutsche Welle in very good German: "I am very grateful to Germany. But if someone says, 'I will help you,' then it must remain that way. One must keep a promise."
In August 2026, five years after the Taliban quickly seized back power in Afghanistan, it seems that Germany no longer wants to know about the big promises it made, as both Deutsche Welle and Tempo.co English report.
In the case of Javad Niazi, Germany has, one must say, broken its promise, according to the same reports. He is in the same position as 600 other Afghans who are desperately holding out in Peshawar and in Kabul, continuing to hope that they can leave for Germany. He and his family say they feel trapped in a small cage, he told Deutsche Welle. Their savings have been used up, he has no residence permit for Pakistan and he cannot leave his temporary accommodation for fear of Pakistani security forces.
Policy shift and cash offers
In May 2025, the new German government, comprising the CDU/CSU and SPD under Chancellor Friedrich Merz, agreed in its coalition agreement to scrap the resettlement programs. A group of Afghans left behind wrote a two-page letter to the German Chancellor appealing for help.
German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt offered waiting Afghans a one-time payment of up to €2,500 before departure and up to €10,000 for return to Afghanistan or a third country. So far, 300 people have accepted the cash offer and given up on a future in Germany.
The German government is cooperating with the Taliban "on a technical level" via the Afghan diplomatic mission to send Afghan nationals who committed crimes in Germany back to Afghanistan, including one person with no criminal record.
Court ruling and ongoing efforts
In July 2026, Germany's Federal Constitutional Court ruled that the government's blanket decision to revoke the admission program for at-risk Afghan citizens breached the constitutional prohibition of arbitrariness, requiring individual consideration of cases. The German Interior Ministry stated that the ruling largely aligns with the Federal Government's argument that admissions declarations can be revoked if political interests change, but individual circumstances must be considered.
Meanwhile, the volunteer group Kabul-Luftbrücke has rescued 4,424 people from the Taliban since August 2021, according to its own statements. Eva Beyer, a filmmaker who worked in Afghanistan, helped organize land transport in Pakistan and looked after evacuees in Islamabad from early 2022. She told Deutsche Welle that about 75% of the people still waiting are women and children. Kabul-Luftbrücke has won more than 200 lawsuits, enabling 1,018 people to travel to Germany since September 1, 2025.