German Court Blocks Mass Cancellation of Afghan Resettlement

Germany's Federal Constitutional Court ruled on Friday, July 24, 2026, that the government cannot unilaterally revoke hundreds of promised resettlement places for Afghan nationals, ordering that each case must be individually reviewed. The landmark decision came in response to a complaint filed by an Afghan mother and her two sons, whose admission approval was cancelled last year.

The court found that the Federal Interior Ministry acted arbitrarily when it terminated a key admission program in December 2025 and invalidated approximately 640 existing admission commitments without examining individual circumstances. This action violated the constitutional prohibition against arbitrary state action. The judges emphasized that while the executive branch has broad discretion over immigration policy, it is not completely free to disregard constitutional principles, especially after authorities have formally informed individuals they will be admitted.

The plaintiff, a human rights activist, was approved for entry to Germany along with her children in 2021 under a "Human Rights List" program established after the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan that August. The program was...