The Kabul Tribune (KT)-- The German government has confirmed that it authorized a team of representatives from the Taliban administration to enter Germany for a short stay to help coordinate increased deportations of Afghan nationals, according to German media reports.
A spokesman for Germany's Foreign Ministry said Monday that Berlin had approved the temporary entry of a technical support team with the goal of increasing the number of deportations to Afghanistan.
German media reported that the team is expected to assist with consular matters and return operations involving Afghan nationals living in Germany.
“It is in our interest that Afghan representations are able to provide consular services for the roughly 450,000 Afghan nationals in Germany and contribute in particular to return operations,” the Foreign Ministry spokesman told a news conference in Berlin.
He said the representatives had undergone security checks, were not accredited as diplomats in Germany and would leave the country after a short stay.
The confirmation comes as Germany has tightened its migration policies under conservative Chancellor Friedrich Merz. His government has sought to increase deportations as it faces growing political pressure over migration and the rise of the far-right Alternative for Germany party.
The German government has said that deportations to Afghanistan would focus primarily on people convicted of crimes. However, 23 Afghan men were deported last week, including some who had not been convicted of any crime, according to reports.
Human rights organizations have strongly criticized deportations to Afghanistan, citing the Taliban's record of human rights abuses and concerns about the risks faced by people returned to the country.
Germany does not formally recognize the Taliban administration, but the decision to allow the technical team to enter marks a further step in practical engagement with Taliban representatives over the deportation of Afghan nationals.
