German Constitutional Court rules Interior Ministry's denial of Afghan refugee visa 'arbitrary'

Published Jul 24, 06:49 PM UTC

Germany's constitutional court ruled on Friday in favor of an Afghan woman who had been denied a visa by the interior ministry, despite her prior approval under a refugee scheme established by the previous government. The court found the ministry's decision to be 'arbitrary' for failing to review the specifics of her case. The woman, a human rights activist, had been approved for entry along with her two children but was stranded in Pakistan since late 2024. She was among over 600 Afghans whose approvals were reversed in December by Chancellor Friedrich Merz's administration as part of its tougher immigration stance. The scheme originally aimed to protect Afghans who worked with German forces or were at risk from the Taliban, including rights activists and journalists. The ruling was welcomed by advocacy group Airbridge Kabul, which called for individual case reviews and protection for affected families.