Germany deports 23 Afghan convicts amid tougher migration policy
Germany deported 23 Afghan men to Kabul on Tuesday, marking another step in the government’s tougher approach to migration and the removal of people convicted of serious crimes.
The men were deported on a charter flight and were subject to existing deportation orders. According to Germany’s Interior Ministry, most had been convicted of serious offenses, including sexual crimes and bodily harm.
Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt defended the government’s policy, saying German society has a clear interest in ensuring that convicted criminals who have no right to remain in the country leave Germany. He stressed that the government would continue implementing its tougher migration policy.
The deportation comes as migration becomes an increasingly important issue in Germany’s political debate. The conservative-led government of Chancellor Friedrich Merz is facing pressure to speed up the removal of rejected asylum seekers and convicted offenders.
The far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) has made irregular migration and deportations major campaign issues ahead of regional elections in three German states next month. The party has accused the government of acting too slowly and failing to enforce deportation decisions effectively.
Recent polling has put the AfD well ahead in Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, with support estimated between 36% and 43%. In Berlin, the party is projected to finish second with around 18% support.
The latest deportation highlights the growing political pressure on the Merz government to demonstrate that it can tighten migration controls and remove people who have been ordered to leave Germany. Authorities have indicated that further deportations will remain part of this tougher approach.