Berlin (dpa) – Faced with the withdrawal of the German armed forces from Afghanistan, a large proportion of local personnel want to protect themselves in Germany. According to information from the German Press Agency, more than 450 local officials currently working in the country or have worked there for the past two years have applied for protection. That is, more than 80% of the people in this group. Family members usually join. In addition, there are about 300 applications from Afghans who in the past had had an auxiliary function.
In Germany, the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Federal Ministry of the Interior decide whether to accept men or women as part of the local forces program. Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer (CDU) called in April for applications to be processed quickly. “We are talking here about people who have worked with us, even putting their own safety at risk, for years in some cases, who have also fought alongside us and made their personal contribution,” he said. “I think the Federal Republic of Germany has a deep obligation not to leave these people unprotected now that we are finally leaving the country.” According to data from the Ministry of Defense, since 2013 a little less than 800 local forces plus members of the family have entered Germany.
