Germany to resume deportations to Afghanistan, Syria

KABUL (Pajhwok): German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt has announced that deportations of rejected and criminal migrants to Afghanistan and Syria will resume before the end of this year.

According to Deutsche Welle, Dobrindt said an agreement with Syria is expected this year, under which criminal migrants will be deported first, followed by those without residency rights.

He stressed a distinction should be made between well-integrated migrants and those relying only on social benefits.

He said planned technical talks with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) would pave the way for regular deportations of Afghan nationals. For now, the process is carried out with Qatar’s mediation, but Berlin hopes to engage directly with Kabul in the future.

The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees has been tasked to review suspended asylum cases of Syrians, enabling deportation if applications are rejected.

Earlier this month, Dobrindt said a German delegation would travel to Kabul to discuss direct arrangements for the “systematic deportation” of Afghan migrants convicted of crimes.

hz/ma