"Take the money and forget Germany": Shocking offer to those seeking refuge

The Ministry of the Interior admits it cannot guarantee that the Afghan resettlement program will be completed by the end of the year, which is why it has opted for this unusual arrangement, the German newspaper Focus reports.

Time Pressure as an Excuse

The offer is detailed in a letter from the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) and is aimed at two groups: about 60 people from the list of those whose human rights are endangered and around 600 people from another program. The letter states that if they accept the offer, Afghans will forfeit all future claims against the German government.

As the main reason for this offer, the Ministry of the Interior (CSU), headed by Alexander Dobrindt, cites time constraints. The Afghans waiting to enter Germany are currently in Pakistan, whose government wants to expel them.

During talks, Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (CDU) reportedly managed to negotiate a postponement of deportations until the end of the year, but Pakistan has set a deadline for these people to leave.

EPA-EFE/CLEMENS BILAN

Therefore, the ministry has concluded—contrary to its previous statements—that it cannot guarantee the completion of all procedures on time. “Unfortunately, it cannot be guaranteed that all procedures will be completed in due time,” the GIZ letter states. This change of position may also be linked to a lawsuit currently pending before the Federal Constitutional Court.

Thousands of Euros for a Return to Danger

Under the offer, single women would receive a one-time financial payment of €1,500 in Pakistan and an additional €5,000 as “assistance for a new start.” The amounts for families would be higher. However, the German government assumes that these individuals would have to return to Afghanistan—the very country they fled from under Taliban rule—because Germany had initially promised them protection.

Returning home carries enormous risks for them, ranging from severe restrictions to torture or even death, unless the German government has reached a special agreement with the Taliban guaranteeing their safety. Moving to a third country, according to the offer, would be possible only “in exceptional cases and subject to prior individual assessments.”

Tanjug/AP/Fareed Khan (STR)

In addition to money, the offer includes material services such as assistance in obtaining exit permits, medical care, and three months of accommodation, food, and psychosocial support upon arrival in Afghanistan.

“The Offer Is Bad”

Eva Bajer, spokesperson for the humanitarian organization Kabul Luftbrücke, considers the German government’s offer inadequate. She points out that €6,500 for a single woman would not even cover the costs these people have already incurred just to flee from Afghanistan to Pakistan. “Many Afghans sold everything they owned—this amount is not enough to secure a new home,” Bajer emphasizes.

The initial reactions from Afghans to the offer were extremely negative. One person said: “I don’t want money or food. I want safety. I cannot return.”

Despite this, for a small group of Afghans, the desire for safety will be fulfilled. On Tuesday evening, seven families totaling 31 people will arrive in Hanover. Their entry into Germany was secured through a lawsuit before the Administrative Court in Berlin.