German court threatens government with fine over visas for Afghans

The German government faces a fine of €10,000 in the dispute over the granting of visas for Afghans to enter Germany.

The Berlin Administrative Court ruled on Thursday that the fine would be payable if no decision is made within three weeks on an application submitted by an Afghan family, a court spokeswoman told dpa on Thursday.

The Foreign Office was initially unavailable for comment.

The case features a dispute over the federal admission programme for particularly vulnerable Afghans which Germany's new government suspended at the beginning of May.

The Berlin Administrative Court is now dealing with a number of cases brought by Afghans fighting for visas.

Earlier this week, the German government announced that 211 people from the admission programme were recently deported from Pakistan back to their country of origin.

The Foreign Office said Pakistan had previously arrested around 450 people from the programme. The German embassy in Islamabad and the Foreign Office managed to secure the release of 245 of them.

Judges have so far ordered the German government to issue visas in 22 cases and three enforcement applications are pending.

Last week, the Foreign Office withdrew an appeal, which meant a law professor and her family members must be granted visas.

In total, more than 2,000 Afghans are waiting to leave for Germany under various admission programmes. They are former local staff or are considered particularly at risk.