Save Samana Mohammadi: Update 02.04.2026 English
More than 33,000 people have signed the petition “Uphold Germany’s admission commitment: Stop the deportation of Samana Mohammadi to Afghanistan.”
Thank you for this incredible support – it is truly overwhelming.
However, Samana Mohammadi remains under acute threat of deportation.
The German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) in Pakistan has informed her that its support is ending and that she is expected to leave for Afghanistan or another third country. The deadline for her response was 31 March 2026.
Following urgent interventions, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), the Berlin Senate Department for Science, Health and Care, and Member of the German Bundestag Vinzenz Glaser have raised her case with the Federal Foreign Office.
As a result, Samana Mohammadi has been granted an appointment for a visa hearing on 14 April 2026 for her student visa application. We are deeply grateful to all those involved, as well as to the many civil society supporters who helped make this possible.
At the same time, we are working intensively to secure a scholarship and are in concrete discussions with a foundation. This may also be decisive in facilitating a swift approval of her visa application. Legal action is ongoing.
What remains unchanged is this:
A return to Afghanistan would be life-threatening for Samana Mohammadi – as a woman and as a social worker who has advocated for women’s rights. She has already experienced violence at the hands of the Taliban, and both she and her family continue to face serious threats. Since the German government withdrew its admission commitment in December 2025, her situation has become increasingly precarious.
Particularly alarming is the following development:
We contacted Parliamentary State Secretary Daniela Ludwig at the Federal Ministry of the Interior to inform her about Samana Mohammadi’s life-threatening situation and the broad public support demonstrated by our petition.
In her reply dated 24 March 2026, it is stated that admission commitments for individuals on the so-called “human rights list” and in the bridging programme were revoked at the end of last year due to a lack of “political interest” in further admissions. Instead, reference is made to options for onward travel to a third country or a return to Afghanistan.
We cannot understand this position. At a time of global threats to democratic values and a growing shortage of skilled professionals, turning away a committed women’s and human rights defender sends a devastating signal. In our view, this decision undermines those who stand up for fundamental rights worldwide.
Moreover, Samana Mohammadi has been living for over two years in basement accommodation provided by GIZ, without natural light. Her Pakistani visa has now expired, and her financial resources are exhausted. Expecting her to independently relocate to a third country and secure a visa from there is entirely unrealistic.
While we are supporting her in exploring all possible options, we expect Germany to honour its responsibility and admit her so that she can begin her studies in the international Master’s programme “Social Work as a Human Rights Profession” at Alice Salomon University of Applied Sciences Berlin (ASH Berlin).
The immediate priority is to ensure that Samana Mohammadi can remain safely in GIZ accommodation in Pakistan while the ongoing procedures continue – and that she is not deported to Afghanistan under any circumstances.
We place great hope in the visa hearing on 14 April.
We will continue to engage with decision-makers and firmly expect that she will be able to come to Germany to study. With her professional expertise and lived experience, Samana Mohammadi would be a great asset to our university and to society.
Time is of the essence: she must not lose support. Knowing that more than 33,000 people stand behind her gives her strength and hope.
Please continue to help:
Share the petition and make clear that you oppose her deportation and support her admission to Germany.
Prof. Dr. Bettina Völter
President of Alice Salomon University of Applied Sciences Berlin