Berlin (TDI): Germany said, on Monday, that it has allowed two envoys from Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban government to enter the country for the first time since the Taliban took control of Kabul in 2021.
The envoys will work at the Afghan embassy in Berlin and the consulate in Bonn, helping identify deportees, issue travel documents and assist during deportation flights.
However, German officials highlighted that this is a mere technical measure and does not reflect any formal recognition of the Taliban government.
This move follows Germany’s second deportation flight in July. Only 18, eighty one Afghan men with criminal records and rejected asylum claims were deported to Kabul using Qatari mediation. Also, this development comes after Germany resumed deportations last year.
German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt justified the decision saying that without direct, on-the-ground support from Afghan officials, the massive number of convicted Afghan migrants would overwhelm German state authorities.
Read More: Germany Starts Deporting Afghans Since Taliban Takeover
Moreover, he emphasized the move is strictly pragmatic and should not be taken as political or diplomatic recognition of the Taliban.
However, this decision attracted criticism. UN human rights officials called Germany’s policy “inappropriate,” warning that these deportations to Taliban-ruled Afghanistan could violate the principle of non-refoulment.
They also highlighted serious human rights abuses in Afghanistan and described the situation on the ground as a “multi-layered human-rights crisis.”
A German government spokesperson said that further deportation flights are in the pipeline and added that the Government has committed systematic expulsions of those convicted of crimes and this will not be accomplished with just one flight.
Meanwhile, Europe is closely watching this development. Germany coordinated with other EU countries to tighten asylum rules, establish deportations, and use diplomatic leverage to encourage cooperation.
