For the first time since halting the practice in 2021, Berlin has expelled 28 “convicted offenders” to the Taliban-ruled country
Germany has deported 28 Afghan nationals to their homeland, the first such action since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021. This follows Berlin’s reversal of its ban on deportations to countries considered unsafe.
The move comes after a stabbing attack at a street festival in Solingen last week, which resulted in three deaths and eight injuries. Police apprehended a 26-year-old Syrian suspect, and Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) claimed responsibility for the attack without providing evidence.
According to Spiegel magazine, citing security sources, the first group of 28 Afghans, all convicted criminals, were deported on a chartered Qatar Airways flight to Kabul on Friday.
“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,” Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit told the outlet.
The deportation operation was a result of two months of “secret negotiations” with mediator Qatar, as Berlin lacks diplomatic ties with the Taliban-led interim government in Afghanistan, the report stated. Hebestreit confirmed to the outlet that Germany had “asked key regional partners for support in order to facilitate the deportations,” without disclosing specifics.
“The Federal Government is committed to carrying out such deportations. Germany’s security interests clearly outweigh its interest in protecting criminals and dangerous individuals,” Hebestreit said.
Berlin suspended deportations to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan in 2021 due to human rights concerns. It has also prohibited expulsions to Syria, deeming the country unsafe due to its ongoing civil war.
In June, after a police officer was killed by an Afghan man in Mannheim, Chancellor Scholz informed the country’s parliament that he favored deporting migrants who commit violent crimes to their countries of origin, including Afghanistan and Syria.
Following recent attacks, Scholz’s ruling coalition has faced growing pressure from opposition parties, who accuse the government of neglecting the issue for years.
As the EU’s largest economy, Germany remains a prime destination for undocumented migrants. Last year, Germany witnessed a surge in immigration, with asylum applications increasing by 51% compared to the previous year. The largest group of asylum seekers, about a third, originated from Syria. Türkiye followed, followed by Afghanistan.