KABUL (Pajhwok): German newspaper taz has reported that the German government is considering deporting Afghan nationals without criminal records or security concerns, in addition to those with criminal backgrounds.
The report, based on information from refugee councils in several German states, said at least five Afghan nationals are currently being held in special deportation detention centres despite not having been convicted of any crime or identified as security threats by authorities.
According to taz, four of the detainees are being held in Bavaria and one in Hesse. Another Afghan national detained in Lower Saxony was released on Tuesday after authorities discovered that Germany’s Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) had made an administrative error in issuing a decision.
The report said Germany halted deportations of Afghan nationals for several years after the Islamic Emirate came to power in 2021 but resumed the process in autumn 2024. Initially, deportations were limited to individuals convicted of crimes or those considered security risks.
taz reported that Germany’s current coalition government had also pledged in its agreement to expand the deportation policy, including the removal of Afghans without criminal records. The newspaper said the plan now appears to be nearing implementation.
The report added that Germany’s Interior Ministry has not yet disclosed the number of people awaiting deportation or details about cooperation with authorities in Afghanistan. In response to parliamentary inquiries, some information was classified as confidential on grounds of “state interests.”
According to the report, 10 Afghan nationals have been deported individually since the beginning of this year, while 77 others were returned to Afghanistan on charter flights. The latest charter flight, conducted in mid-June, involved 92 federal police officers and cost more than €350,000.
sa
