Local forces from Afghanistan in Berlin: “You have helped millions of Ukrainians, but you cannot manage 20,000 Afghans”

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A year after the Taliban seized power and Western troops withdrew from Afghanistan, former so-called local Bundeswehr personnel who remained in the country are still waiting to leave for Germany.

Afghans who had worked for the Bundeswehr met in Berlin at the weekend.

What worries her most is her concern for the family members who are still in Afghanistan.

ABDUL MUTALEB KARIMI, former local worker

»I worked for ten years as a security guard in the Marmal camp in Mazar-e-Sharif, together with my three brothers.

I came to Germany alone seven months ago, my children stayed there.

Please bring her here.

They have no one to take care of them."

FROTEN QURBAN ALI, former local worker

»My three children have many problems.

I have to think about her day and night.

Like me, thousands of my colleagues, my brothers, my people, the suffering Afghan people.

Germany has helped millions of Ukrainians, but can't manage 20,000 Afghans?

What is the reason for that?"

According to the Federal Foreign Office, the federal government has so far promised 23,000 people a quick exit, and almost 16,000 local workers and family members have been brought to Germany so far.

Among them are political activists, journalists and artists who, like the local forces, have to fear repression from the Taliban.

A quick evacuation of people fails mainly because of bureaucratic hurdles.

Marcus Grotian, head of the sponsorship network for Afghan local staff.

“The local force procedure must be revised.

We still have a lot of people who never get a chance to get accepted even though they have worked for us.

We find that extremely depressing.

The people who are in Afghanistan must be evacuated quickly.

And if you don't do it yourself, then you finally have to support us.

There is a UN report that reports 160 executions.

The people who don't contact us anymore are dead. That's really terrible.

But our focus for now is on the living.

And the responsibility for the dead lies with others, not those who are trying to save them.«

The situation of exposed Afghans has deteriorated in recent months.

Due to the closed embassy in Kabul, the federal government does not have a precise picture of the situation regarding the repression of the Taliban.