- Germany has held technical talks with Afghan representatives in Qatar to enable regular deportations.
- The latest deportation was in July sending 81 Afghans with criminal records or failed asylum claims back.
- The move is controversial, with critics warning of security risks and political backlash
German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt confirmed that delegations from Berlin have held technical discussions with Afghan representatives in Qatar to enable deportations to Afghanistan. He said further meetings are expected in the coming weeks, DW reported.
“We want to make deportations possible on our own. And that is why we are maintaining technical contacts between colleagues from the Interior Ministry and representatives from Afghanistan,” Dobrindt said, adding that the aim was to establish a system allowing regular deportations.
Germany has not maintained formal diplomatic relations with the Taliban, who seized control of Afghanistan in August 2021 following NATO’s withdrawal. The government does not recognize the Taliban as the country’s legitimate rulers.
Foreign Minister Wadephul Johann Wadephul also confirmed that the discussions were taking place in Doha. He noted that meetings in Kabul were not considered necessary.
In July, Germany deported 81 Afghans with criminal records and rejected asylum claims back to Afghanistan.
The move has sparked controversy within Germany. Marcel Emmerich, the Green Party’s domestic policy spokesman, described the talks as a scandal, saying the public deserved to know what Berlin was offering in return. He accused Dobrindt of undermining national security by engaging with the Taliban.
Migration has become a central theme in German politics amid the rise of the far right. Chancellor Friedrich Merz has pledged to intensify deportations to Afghanistan and Syria while halting asylum admission programs for former Afghan staff who worked with German agencies.
