Germany Launches Program to Offer Protection for Afghans At Risk
According to a press release by the Federal Ministry of the Interior and Homeland, the new admission program will apply to former local staff and other Afghans that are particularly at risk in recent months, AtoZSerwisPlus.de reports.
Approximately 26,000 local workers and Afghans at risk have been able to use this programme to come to Germany and civil society organisations, who are also part of the coordination process.
“In the implementation, we are breaking new ground and forms of cooperation in close cooperation with civil society organizations that have not existed before. To this end, we are strengthening the structures of the civil society organization, in particular with a coordination office, to support them in participating in the program,” the Interior Minister, Nancy Faeser said.
She also pointed out that her government has made a structured framework for the future, throughout which protection will be offered to particularly endangered and vulnerable people.
The target group to be offered protection in Germany includes those that have exposed themselves to women’s and human rights and in areas of justice, media, culture, politics, sport, or science. In addition, those who, because of their gender, sexual orientation, or gender identity, have experienced specific violence and persecution.
Moreover, victims of violations of women’s rights, transphobic or homophobic human rights, and representatives of religious groups or communities will also be eligible to benefit from the federal admission programme.
These people have to be residing in Afghanistan and potentially be proposed by the authorities competent to register, with the latter being appointed by the Federal government. Civil society organisations can also complete this function.
“In view of the complex issue and the extremely difficult situation on site, there will be no perfect system. We are aware of the construction sites in the new federal admissions program. But finally having a nationwide program to get those in need of protection to safety by legal means as safely as possible is a thousand times better than having no admissions program at all,” Annalena Baerbock, the German Foreign Minister, noted.
The German government has vowed to take in around 38,100 Afghans, with the records for the past few months showing that around 1,000 people had been declared per month on average. Nearly 25,000 former local staff and about 13,600 other Afghans at risk have been accepted, including their eligible family members for the program. More than two-thirds, accounting for 26,000 people, have already entered the country.
