German Pastor Vows Jail Over Surrendering Afghan Asylum Seekers To Authorities

A dispute between Berlin and Hamburg has intensified over church asylum granted to three Afghan men who converted to Christianity in Sweden and now face possible deportation.

The men left Sweden in 2024 after authorities pressured them to return to Afghanistan, where they say their lives would be at risk. Instead of complying with EU Dublin rules requiring their return to Sweden, they sought refuge in Berlin's Trinity Church, the largest Farsi-speaking Christian congregation in Germany.

Hamburg's mayor has accused Berlin of“systematically abusing church asylum” and claimed police refuse to inspect churches. Pastor Gottfried Martens rejected the allegations, saying the church shelters only those facing genuine threats and not individuals with criminal records.

The dispute follows the arrest of a 26-year-old Afghan who fled Sweden, sought church protection in Berlin, and was deported back to Sweden earlier this month. Church leaders described the move as a“death sentence,” warning he could still be expelled to Afghanistan.

Hamburg's interior ministry insists Sweden only deports criminals to Afghanistan and says the three Afghan converts have no criminal convictions.

The standoff underscores tensions between Germany's church asylum tradition and EU asylum rules, as well as the broader debate over protecting at-risk Afghan converts from deportation.

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