Germany Resumes Deportations to Afghanistan
Germany has deported people to Afghanistan for the first time since the Taliban took power. On Friday morning, a charter flight departed from Leipzig/Halle Airport for Kabul. According to information from the German Press Agency (dpa), there were approximately 30 men from various federal states on board the aircraft.
This deportation is a significant political decision. There have been no direct repatriations to Afghanistan since August 2021, as the security situation in the country is considered very difficult. The federal government stopped deportations at that time when the Taliban took control of Kabul.
In recent months, however, there has been an intense discussion on this topic in Germany. Chancellor Olaf Scholz had announced that serious criminals and dangerous individuals should be consistently deported. This is to happen even if they come from countries like Afghanistan or Syria. The federal government aims to increase security in Germany through these measures.
Organizing the flight was complicated because Germany has no diplomatic relations with the Taliban government. According to reports, Qatar assisted in the mediation to make the deportation possible. According to government statements, the men on board are said to be convicted criminals who no longer had a right to reside in Germany.
Human rights organizations are criticizing the action. They state that Afghanistan is not a safe country and that people there could be in danger. They demand that every case must be examined individually and precisely. In contrast, the federal government emphasizes that the safety of citizens in Germany is a priority.
Whether there will be such flights regularly in the future remains unclear. The federal government is looking for ways to carry out further deportations without officially recognizing the Taliban. This first deportation in a long time is seen as a clear signal in current migration policy.