AI urges Germany to continue taking Afghan refugees

The London-based human rights group Amnesty International on Thursday called on Germany to keep accepting refugees from Afghanistan, amid concerns the government initiative leading the effort could be terminated on financial grounds, reported dpa.

"The Afghanistan reception programme for Afghans in extreme danger was a glimmer of hope," said Theresa Bergmann, a spokeswoman for the organization's German branch.

"If it is up to Interior Minister Nancy Faeser, the programme will not be funded from next year. That is shameful," she added.

Some 3,100 Afghans whose applications via the initiative have been accepted will be taken in, but its future is unclear.

German Human Rights Commissioner Luise Amtsberg described the initiative as an "important instrument" for protecting Afghans, adding that it was "essential" to continue it given the difficult situation in Afghanistan.

Amnesty has reported ongoing violations of human rights and crimes under international law in Afghanistan since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, with women and girls particularly affected.

Activists and journalists have faced arrest, torture and disappearance, with many people forced to flee the country.

Many refugees are stuck in Iran, Pakistan and Turkey, where they face legal and financial problems along with the possibility of being deported to Afghanistan, Amnesty said.