SAEDNEWS: Germany announced it has carried out the first deportation of Afghan nationals back to Afghanistan since the Taliban took control in August 2021. This move comes as Berlin faces increasing pressure to manage migration more strictly.
According to SAEDNEWS, "These were Afghan nationals, all of whom were convicted offenders who had no right to stay in Germany and against whom deportation orders had been issued," said government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit in a statement, as reported by France 24.
Germany does not maintain diplomatic relations with the Taliban, which means it has to navigate other channels for such operations. A chartered Qatar Airways flight departed from Leipzig airport just before 0500 GMT, carrying 28 Afghan deportees, according to security sources cited by Der Spiegel magazine.
This deportation followed two months of “secret negotiations," with Qatar acting as a mediator between Berlin and the Taliban authorities, Der Spiegel reported. Each deportee received €1,000 before boarding the flight, as reported by Afghan news outlets.
Hebestreit mentioned that Germany had "asked key regional partners for support in order to facilitate the deportations," but did not provide further details.
Germany had previously halted all deportations to Afghanistan and closed its embassy in Kabul following the Taliban takeover in 2021. In June 2024, the Taliban interim government responded to Germany's decision with concern. Abdul Qahar Balkhi, spokesperson for the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, expressed hope that both nations could resolve the issue through diplomatic means to safeguard citizens' rights.
The Taliban emphasized the need for the issue to be managed through proper consular channels and bilateral agreements to prevent Afghan nationals from being returned to uncertain or unsafe conditions.
In light of a recent incident where an Afghan refugee fatally stabbed a police officer in early June 2024, Germany’s Interior Minister, Nancy Faeser, called for stricter measures against migrants. She stressed that migrants who pose a threat to Germany's security will be deported back to their home countries.
