Germany Deportes 87 Afghan Nationals Over Six Months amid Identity Verification Talks with Taliban Representatives
The German government announced that it deported 87 Afghan citizens from the country over a six-month period. According to German officials, 77 of these individuals were transferred to Afghanistan on three charter flights, while the remaining 10 were sent via regular commercial flights. The cost of the three charter flights was reported to be over one million euros.
Based on the published information, this process took place from January 1, 2026, to June 19, 2026. The German government provided these figures in response to an inquiry from members of the Left Party in the German parliament. According to German law, the enforcement of residency and deportation measures for migrants falls under the jurisdiction of the federal states, although the federal government supports these procedures.
The German government also confirmed that, to verify identity and obtain passports and travel documents for those subject to deportation, meetings were held with representatives of the Taliban administration. However, due to considerations related to personal data protection and international cooperation, the government refrained from disclosing the names of these representatives.
In response to reports circulating on social media, German officials denied making any payments to the Taliban. According to them, the Federal Police did not pay the Taliban any funds for conducting identity verification meetings with Afghan citizens.
Nonetheless, the German government declined to provide details about a meeting held on April 16 at the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees in Bonn. This meeting became controversial following reports by German media outlets such as ZDF and NDR, which indicated that some Afghan citizens faced deportation and were introduced to Taliban representatives for identity checks and travel document issuance.
Germany’s Interior Ministry stated that the Federal Police conducted the meeting, while the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees merely provided the venue. The German government emphasized that technical and operational contacts with the Taliban are solely for carrying out deportation procedures and do not imply political recognition of the group.
