A working meeting in Vienna between the Ministry of Interior and a Taliban delegation regarding deportation
Austrian authorities held a closed-door working meeting in Vienna with a delegation from Taliban to discuss the deportation of convicted Afghan nationals from Austria to Afghanistan.
The talks took place this week without public announcement and followed an earlier visit in September last year. The Austrian Interior Ministry, led by Gerhard Karner, has continued to prioritize deportations to Afghanistan as part of its migration and security policy.
Officials from the Federal Office for Immigration and Asylum, together with the Foreign Police, represented Austria in the meeting. According to available information, the discussions focused on practical steps for future deportations. Unlike the previous visit, no prison tour was included, and no images of the meeting were released.
The Interior Ministry described the talks as a “necessary working meeting.” During the September visit, Taliban representatives were taken to Simmering Prison to hear statements from Afghan inmates, verify identities, and issue travel documents ahead of deportation. This time, the focus remained strictly on coordination and planning.
The ministry stressed that the goal remains the return of convicted Afghans to their country of origin. Deportations that were previously carried out on a case-by-case basis are now intended to become standard practice. In 2025, more than 14,000 convicted individuals and illegal residents left Austria, marking a record figure, according to Public Security Director Franz Ruf.