Germany has decided to grant asylum to several Afghans who assisted the German army. But how are they selected? Bundeswehr Brigadier General Michael Vetter explains in a DW interview.
Note from the editor: Shortly after this interview was conducted, the German federal government announced it would grant asylum to 182 former Afghan civilian contractors of the Bundeswehr. This figure may rise further as more cases have yet to be processed.
Initially, there were no plans of offering Afghan civilians who assisted the Bundeswehr the possibility of immigrating to Germany. Now, some 150 of them are set to come. What has brought about this change of plans?
Michael Vetter: Basically, there have been no changes in terms of the procedure. However, we were recently informed by the Interior Ministry that Germany would open doors to around 150 of our local civilian employees.
Vetter: ‘As long as Afghan nationals are employed by the German army or foreign ministry, they will be able to apply for asylum’
Here is a little bit of background information: It is a procedure for which all departments of the federal government have voted in favor. Adjustments based on our experience in Afghanistan have been discussed over the past few weeks. They include granting permission to local civilian personnel in categories I and II, in other words, all personnel who face any kind of threat, be that imminent or not, to travel to Germany.
More than half of the 242 Afghans who reported to the Bundeswehr who were worried about their safety over the past couple of months now have the chance to come to Germany. To what extent can one assume that those remaining in Afghanistan will be able to lead peaceful lives after ending their work with the German military?
We can be nearly 100 percent sure. Let me give you an example of how we determine whether people are under a so-called “abstract threat.” We ask these workers a set of questions concerning their sense of personal safety, but if they tell us they don’t feel threatened or unsafe at home, we have no reason to believe something will happen to them after the Bundeswehr withdraws. Continue reading →