Rescue mission in Afghanistan: what happens next with the local staff?

The migration commissioner Widmann-Mauz has called for rapid integration offers for Afghan local workers. Meanwhile, Development Minister Müller is calling for an expansion of the rescue operation in Afghanistan.

Get out of Afghanistan – that is currently the most important thing for many former local employees of foreign armed forces, government agencies and non-governmental organizations. But what happens when these people have arrived in the USA, Great Britain or Germany?

The Federal Government Commissioner for Migration, Refugees and Integration, Annette Widmann-Mauz, calls for rapid funding offers for local Afghan workers in German cities and communities. It is important “that those who come to Germany have quick access to integration offers and existing support structures for refugees in the municipalities,” said the CDU politician of the “Rheinische Post”.

“It is good that the federal and state interior ministers have agreed to take in particularly vulnerable people from Afghanistan and to negotiate about this with the other EU states,” said Widmann-Mauz.

Special attention must now be paid to the women who have stood up for human and freedom rights in Afghanistan. “These courageous women are also important bridge-builders in integration,” said Widmann-Mauz. They needed help and support from tried and tested support projects, which should now be expanded.

Development Minister for Major Evacuation Mission

Federal Development Minister Gerd Müller advocated expanding the Bundeswehr’s ongoing rescue operation in Afghanistan. In development cooperation alone, according to the criteria of the federal government, “potentially 1,800 local workers and their families would have the right to leave the country,” said the CSU politician to the newspapers of the Funke media group.

According to previous regulations, Afghan local workers, their spouses and underage children are entitled to travel to Germany. Adult children are so far excluded. Müller emphasized that “in individual cases” it is “inhumane” to separate families. Therefore the rules would have to be changed.

Furthermore, Müller urged Germany to make significantly stronger financial efforts. The announced 100 million euros for humanitarian refugee aid are “decidedly too little”. In order to support Afghanistan’s neighboring countries in receiving and caring for refugees, Müller spoke out in favor of an international immediate initiative by the G7 and G20 countries. More than five billion euros would have to be collected to support UN aid organizations. Germany should contribute 500 million euros.

Laschet: Make grant conditional

Union Chancellor candidate Armin Laschet also called for new financial aid for Afghanistan to be linked to Taliban’s guarantees for human rights. “We can make development cooperation dependent on schooling for girls and other minimum standards,” said the CDU politician of the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung”.

The aim is “to influence the Taliban so that the country does not become a hotbed of international terrorism again”. The prospect of financial support could serve as a lever, added Laschet. Germany has suspended development cooperation with the Taliban-ruled country for the time being.

Left party criticizes lengthy visa issuance

The Left Party’s parliamentary group called for family members of Afghan citizens already living in Germany to be included in the Bundeswehr’s evacuation mission. Ulla Jelpke, domestic politician of the Left Party, criticized the sluggish issuance of visas for traveling to Germany from her point of view. “Waiting over a year just to be able to apply for a visa is simply unacceptable,” Jelpke also told the Funke media group acute danger. “

Annalena Baerbock, the Greens’ candidate for chancellor, also urged local Afghan workers and their families to be flown out of Afghanistan as quickly as possible. She also called for the same for people who campaigned for democracy and human rights in Afghanistan. Federal Foreign Minister Heiko Maas accused them of “a huge failure”. For months it had been clear that local Afghan workers needed protection. “Experts have clearly warned of the dangers. The Bundeswehr has warned against this. But this federal government has decided to submerge in foreign policy,” criticized Baerbock in the “Süddeutsche Zeitung”.