Germany Advances on Deporting Citizens to Afghanistan

• Interior Ministry announces flight with deported men departed Friday.
• Human rights organizations denounce deportations to Afghanistan.
• Berlin maintains only indirect ties with Taliban through intermediaries.

BERLIN: On Friday, Germany confirmed the deportation of 81 Afghan men, who had been convicted of various offenses, back to Afghanistan under Taliban control. This action comes as Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s government strives to demonstrate a strict approach to immigration.

The Interior Ministry detailed that a flight carrying the deportees departed Friday morning for Afghanistan, stating that all those deported were subject to expulsion orders following their criminal convictions.

According to Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt, the government of Europe’s largest economy is advancing a “policy shift” while hosting several European colleagues to discuss migration issues.

“Future deportations to Afghanistan must be executed in a secure manner. There is no residency entitlement for serious offenders in our country,” Dobrindt asserted.

Berlin has only engaged in indirect communication with the Taliban via third-party channels, relying on Qatar’s support for Friday’s operation, as reported by the German Interior Ministry.

After the Taliban regained power in 2021, Germany halted deportations and closed its embassy in Kabul.

However, deportations resumed last year under the prior government of Social Democrat Chancellor Olaf Scholz, which expelled 28 Afghan nationals convicted of crimes.

Concerns Over Human Rights

Amnesty International condemned the recent deportations to Afghanistan, characterizing the situation there as “catastrophic.”

The organization highlighted the prevalence of “extrajudicial killings, forced disappearances, and torture” in the country.

Earlier this month, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for two senior Taliban leaders, accusing them of crimes against humanity in their persecution of women and girls.

During a press briefing, Merz expressed that Germany aims to remain an “appealing nation for immigrants,” seeking to attract skilled individuals and address significant labor shortages.

However, he mentioned that previous administration policies placed excessive burdens on local authorities.

Merz stated that his government had initiated necessary adjustments to align migration policies, which include enhancing border security and restricting family reunion rights for certain refugees.

He added that while increasing surveillance at Germany’s borders is merely a “temporary” measure, a sustainable solution is essential at the European level.

Migration Summit

Dobrindt convened with his counterparts from France, Poland, Austria, Denmark, and the Czech Republic, as well as European Commissioner for Home Affairs Magnus Brunner in southern Germany on Friday.

The meeting’s goal is to “strengthen European migration policy,” Dobrindt told the Augsburger Allgemeine newspaper.

Discussions on resuming deportations have intensified as immigration has surged in the political spotlight, notably due to the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party’s rise.

The AfD achieved a historic electoral milestone of over 20% in February, marking its highest national vote percentage, and closely following Merz’s conservative CDU/CSU coalition.

The immigration debate intensified following a series of tragic incidents last year involving suspects who were asylum seekers, including several from Afghanistan.

Germany’s current coalition government, comprising the CDU/CSU and the center-left Social Democrats (SPD), has pledged to enhance the expulsion of foreign criminals while cracking down on illegal migration.

In addition to the deportations to Afghanistan, Dobrindt stated he is in communication with authorities to facilitate deportations to Syria, which have been paused since 2012.

The long-term Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad was overthrown in December, and the nation is now administered by leaders, some previously associated with the Al-Qaeda terrorist network.