Pakistani authorities have once again detained several Afghans who were hoping to travel to Germany via special resettlement programmes, according to a local police spokesman on Tuesday.

Residents of a guesthouse said eight people, including two children, were detained.

Pakistani authorities had already detained hundreds of Afghans from German resettlement programmes a month ago.

Of these, 210 were deported to Afghanistan.

Many Afghan families have been waiting in Islamabad for months or even years.

Mass deportations of Afghans are currently taking place in Pakistan, but they were not supposed to target those from German resettlement programmes.

In an urgent letter to Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Tuesday, 200 Afghans deported to Kabul demanded the fastest possible departure to Germany.

The authors fear abductions, torture, arbitrary arrests, and even executions by the ruling Taliban, according to their statements.

Mr Merz said in response to journalists’ questions that he was taking the letter seriously.

He added that the eligibility for entry into Germany was currently being examined “on a case-by-case basis.”

Currently, more than 2,000 Afghans are waiting in Pakistan to leave for Germany under various resettlement programmes.

(dpa/NAN)