Report: Few Afghan journalists reach Germany via special programme

Only six Afghan journalists have so far managed to enter Germany under a government reception programme for particularly vulnerable people from the war damaged country, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) reported on Monday.

On the third anniversary of the Islamist Taliban taking power in the capital Kabul, the group laments the situation.

“Working as a journalist, especially if you are a woman, is the riskiest and most dangerous job you can do under Taliban rule,” RSF quotes an Afghan journalist who has reportedly submitted her documents to the German authorities and is now waiting for approval. The woman does not want to give her name for fear of reprisals, the advocacy group said.

According to RSF, a total of 62 Afghan media professionals plus family members have submitted cases for admission via the programme. In order to help those who are still waiting, the German government must, among other things, process the applications more quickly and increase the number of staff in Pakistan responsible for security checks on applicants.

However, the future of the programme, which has helped around 540 particularly vulnerable Afghans and their relatives to come to Germany so far, is uncertain overall. The German government agrees that the 3,100 or so people who have already been approved for the programme will be allowed to come. What else is possible, however, depends partly on finances.

Since Afghanistan is one of the top countries of origin for asylum seekers arriving in Germany without the proper immigration papers, some politicians in the coalition government have recently become less inclined to bring any more people to the country via this special admission programme.