The Kabul Tribune (KT) — Germany has deported an Afghan national without a criminal record for the first time since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021, Reuters reported, citing German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt.
According to Dobrindt, the man became eligible for
deportation after exhausting all legal avenues in his asylum case.
The minister said the individual had attempted to settle in
another European country but was found to be living there illegally. After
being transferred back to Germany under European migration procedures, he was
deported to Afghanistan.
The man was among 31 Afghan men deported on a charter flight
to Afghanistan on Tuesday. German authorities said the remaining 30 deportees
had criminal convictions.
From Afghanistan's perspective, the deportation marks a
significant shift in Germany's return policy, as Berlin has now deported an
Afghan asylum seeker solely on the basis of a rejected asylum application,
rather than a criminal conviction.
Deportations to Afghanistan have remained highly
controversial since the Taliban regained power in August 2021, with human
rights organizations raising concerns about the safety of returnees and the
country's human rights situation.
Reuters reported that Germany has deported more than 200
people to Afghanistan since resuming removals in 2024. According to Amnesty
International, at least one deported Afghan has been killed after returning to
the country.
