Germany continues deportations to Afghanistan
(MENAFN) Germany has restarted deportations to Afghanistan for the first time since the Taliban reclaimed power in 2021. The decision follows a significant policy shift by Berlin, which had previously halted deportations to countries it classified as unsafe.
The German government executed the first deportation operation on Friday, sending 28 Afghan nationals back to their homeland. These individuals, all convicted criminals, were transported via a chartered Qatar Airways flight to Kabul, according to security sources reported by Spiegel magazine.
This move comes in the wake of a recent violent incident in Germany. On August 23, a stabbing attack at a street festival in Solingen resulted in three fatalities and eight injuries. The attacker, a 26-year-old Syrian asylum seeker, was apprehended by police. The Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) has claimed responsibility for the attack, though it has not provided concrete evidence.
The deportations mark a shift in German policy, which had been suspended since the Taliban's return due to human rights concerns. Chancellor Olaf Scholz's spokesperson, Steffen Hebestreit, explained that the deportees were all individuals with outstanding deportation orders. He emphasized that Germany's priority is to uphold its security interests, even if it means deporting individuals to regions considered unsafe.
The operation was facilitated through "secret negotiations" with Qatar, which acted as a mediator given that Germany lacks direct diplomatic relations with the Taliban-led Afghan government. Hebestreit noted that Germany had sought support from key regional partners to enable these deportations.
Previously, Germany had also suspended deportations to Syria, citing the ongoing civil war and safety concerns. The resumption of deportations to Afghanistan reflects a broader reassessment of Germany's immigration policies in light of recent security challenges.
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