Germany Deports Afghan Citizen Without Criminal Record for First Time Since Taliban Return

Reuters has reported that Germany has deported an Afghan citizen without a criminal record to Afghanistan for the first time since the Taliban regained power in 2021.

Alexander Dobrindt, Germany’s Interior Minister, stated that this individual was subject to deportation after completing all legal procedures for asylum and having his application finally rejected. He was among 31 Afghan nationals who were transferred from Germany to Afghanistan on Tuesday via a single flight.

According to the report, this individual had previously attempted to reside in another European country but was identified as being there illegally and subsequently returned to Germany. German authorities have confirmed that the other 30 passengers on the flight had criminal convictions.

Germany resumed deportations of Afghan citizens in 2024, a move that has attracted criticism from human rights organizations amid ongoing concerns about the human rights situation in Afghanistan.

Reuters, citing Amnesty International, reported that since the resumption of deportations, more than 200 Afghan nationals have been deported from Germany, and at least one returnee has died after arriving in Afghanistan. Human rights groups have urged European governments to consider the humanitarian consequences and the prevailing conditions in Afghanistan when making decisions about deporting Afghan asylum seekers.