Wednesday, 26 February
155 Afghan asylum seekers land in Berlin following election
On Tuesday morning, 155 people fleeing Afghanistan finally touched down in Berlin. Originally scheduled to come weeks earlier, their charter flights were suddenly postponed by the German government in the weeks before the federal election, a move that critics say put political optics ahead of human lives.
In early February, two evacuation flights were grounded without warning, leaving hundreds in limbo. The official reason was logistical problems, but the timing raised questions, with critics expressing doubts about the explanation. With migration a key election issue – and the far-right gaining ground – some questioned whether it was really poor planning, or whether Germany was trying to avoid controversy prior to voters hitting the ballot boxes.
Many on the flight had been on German evacuation lists for years, including people who helped the Bundeswehr as locals and are therefore at risk of being targeted by the Taliban. Upon landing at BER airport, they were processed and transferred to reception centers, where their next round of bureaucracy begins.
