Germany Expands Deportations to Include Afghan Refugees Without Criminal Records
Germany has begun deporting Afghan refugees without criminal records, expanding the scope beyond those with criminal backgrounds, the Interior Ministry announced.
Alexander Dobrindt, Germany’s Interior Minister, stated after the deportation of 31 Afghan refugees from Leipzig airport to Kabul on a charter flight that the deportation policy has been broadened following the coalition government’s agreement. According to him, 30 of those deported on the flight had criminal records, while one individual without any criminal conviction was also sent back to Afghanistan.
Dobrindt emphasized that in the future, individuals obligated to leave Germany who have not achieved any progress in social integration may also be considered for deportation. He also mentioned that the Taliban administration, based on the agreement made, has accepted the return of deported refugees.
The expansion of this policy has faced waves of criticism in Germany. Marcel Emrich, a member of the Green Party, called the move “a disgrace” for the federal government and described the agreement with the Taliban as “impure.”
At the same time, a number of German residents and Afghan refugees gathered at Leipzig airport to protest the decision, demanding an immediate halt to the deportations. One protester said that returning individuals to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan exposes them to inhumane detention, torture, or even the death penalty.
Sabine Hess, director of the Global Migration Studies Center at the University of Göttingen, also warned that among those detained for deportation are not only dangerous criminals but also individuals with very minor offenses.
According to German media reports, nearly 450,000 Afghan citizens live in Germany, and the German government has stated that over 15,000 of them are obligated to leave the country. However, the Interior Minister has stressed that despite widespread criticism from human rights activists, the deportation process will continue.
