German Court Blocks Mass Revocation of Afghan Resettlement Promises
BERLIN-Germany’s Constitutional Court ruled on Friday that the government cannot revoke resettlement commitments made to hundreds of Afghans as a group without individually assessing each case, finding that such action violates constitutional protections against arbitrary state decisions.
The ruling came in response to a complaint filed by an Afghan mother and her two sons who were selected in 2021 for admission to Germany under a humanitarian program established by the previous government after the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan.
The court found that the Interior Ministry’s decision to terminate the resettlement scheme in December 2025 and invalidate about 640 admission commitments without examining individual circumstances breached the constitutional prohibition on arbitrary state action.
“Even where the executive enjoys a broad margin of discretion, it is never completely free,” the court said in its ruling.
The judges said that once authorities have informed an individual that they will be admitted to Germany, any later decision to reverse that commitment must take the person’s specific circumstances into account rather than rely on a blanket policy.
The Constitutional Court ordered that the family’s case be reconsidered by the competent higher administrative court.
The woman and her two sons are currently in Pakistan, where they have been receiving assistance financed by the German government while awaiting the outcome of their resettlement process.
The court also ruled that German authorities must continue providing financial support to the family in Pakistan until visas are issued or the Interior Ministry reaches a new decision that complies with constitutional requirements.
The Interior Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment following the ruling.
The judgment represents a legal setback for the government’s effort to end the resettlement program and underscores that administrative discretion must be exercised on an individual basis where prior commitments have been made.
