Germany Sees Surge in Asylum Applications from Afghan Women Amid Taliban Crackdown

Germany has reported a dramatic rise in asylum applications from Afghan women, as worsening conditions under Taliban rule and recent legal rulings in the EU have strengthened their case for protection.

According to Der Spiegel, more than 3,000 Afghan women applied for asylum in Germany in July 2025 alone, more than double the number from the previous month. Since the start of the year, nearly 9,600 women have sought refuge in the country.

The German Federal Office for Migration and Refugees attributes this sharp increase to the escalating repression of women in Afghanistan. Since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, women have been systematically excluded from education, employment, and public life—what experts describe as an orchestrated campaign to erase their civil liberties.

A key driver behind the surge in asylum claims is a landmark ruling by the European Court of Justice in late 2024, which declared that “women in Afghanistan are generally subject to political persecution.” This ruling significantly broadened the eligibility of Afghan women for asylum under EU law.

Following this decision, Germany’s immigration authorities confirmed that the legal pathway for Afghan women seeking protection has become considerably stronger, increasing the likelihood of being granted refugee status.

In a related 2024 decision, the EU’s top court also ruled that being both Afghan and female may, in itself, constitute grounds for asylum—setting a powerful precedent that has influenced refugee policies across member states.

As the Taliban tightens its grip and intensifies its gender-based restrictions, growing numbers of Afghan women are turning to countries like Germany in search of safety, dignity, and basic human rights.

However, experts caution that without coordinated international support, including expanded resettlement programs and funding for host nations, countries may face increasing pressure to accommodate the rising influx of vulnerable women fleeing Afghanistan.

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