German chancellor says Afghan criminals will be returned

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has said that Berlin will continue to deport Afghan nationals who have committed crimes in Germany.

Speaking at a press conference on the sidelines of the European Union Leaders’ summit in Brussels, Scholz said that a large number of Afghan criminals have already been deported to their country.

“We had a large number of Afghan criminals whom we deported to Afghanistan. It has been complicated, but we were able to do it, and such returns will happen again. Criminals will be returned to Afghanistan.”

In late August, Germany deported 28 Afghan nationals charged with criminal acts, in the first such move since the Islamic Emirate returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021.

Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has criticized the rise of “Islamophobia and anti-immigrant sentiment” in Europe during a meeting with Scholz in Istanbul.

He expressed concerns that this trend is being fueled by far-right movements, raising worries among immigrants.

Erdogan urged the German chancellor to continue his “unifying stance” against Islamophobia and anti-immigrant sentiment in Germany.