German Constitutional Court rules interior ministry arbitrary in revoking Afghan refugee visa

Published Jul 24, 06:49 PM UTC

Germany's constitutional court ruled on Friday that the interior ministry acted arbitrarily by reversing a previously approved visa for an Afghan woman human rights activist and her two children. The woman had been accepted under a refugee scheme established by the previous German government, but Chancellor Friedrich Merz's administration sought to roll back the program as part of a tougher immigration stance. In December, the ministry invalidated approvals for over 600 Afghans, including those who worked with German forces or were at risk from the Taliban. The plaintiff had been stuck in Pakistan since late 2024 awaiting a visa. The court found the ministry failed to review her case individually. The ruling was welcomed by the Airbridge Kabul initiative, which called for individual case examinations and protection for affected families. The article also notes that Germany resumed deportations of convicted criminals to Afghanistan on the same day.