Germany deports 22 Afghan nationals with criminal records to Kabul

Germany has deported 22 Afghan nationals with criminal records to Kabul, German media outlet Deutsche Welle reported.

Germany’s Interior Ministry confirmed the deportations on Tuesday, September 1, saying the individuals were flown to the Afghan capital on a charter flight.

A ministry spokesperson said the deportees had been convicted of crimes in Germany including murder, attempted murder, robbery, professional theft, extortion involving force, grievous bodily harm and arson.

The latest deportation comes amid increasing cooperation between German authorities and representatives of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) over the return of Afghan nationals.

Germany has carried out several deportation flights involving Afghan nationals convicted of crimes, with the previous flight taking place a week earlier.

On August 25, German media reported that around 30 Afghans were deported to Kabul on a charter flight from Leipzig Airport. The group reportedly included several people without criminal records who were forcibly returned.

On August 29, German media reported that a three-member IEA delegation had travelled to Germany after obtaining 30-day visas from the German diplomatic mission in Qatar. The delegation is reportedly staying at the Afghan Embassy in Berlin and is expected to visit Bonn and Munich, where Afghan consulates are located.

Berlin maintains that its contacts with the IEA remain at a “technical level” and do not amount to recognition of the authorities as Afghanistan’s government.

Germany suspended direct deportations to Afghanistan after the IEA returned to power in 2021 and closed its embassy in Kabul. Limited deportations of Afghan nationals convicted of crimes resumed in 2024 under then-Chancellor Olaf Scholz, with removals carried out through third countries.

Since taking office in May 2025, the current German government has made the deportation of foreign nationals convicted of crimes a key priority. German officials have held talks with IEA representatives in Qatar and Kabul on establishing regular direct deportation flights.

According to the report, Germany has now deported around 250 Afghan nationals to Afghanistan, most of whom had criminal records.

The latest deportation comes as several European Union countries seek to increase the return of rejected asylum seekers and foreign nationals convicted of crimes. On June 23, the EU hosted an IEA delegation in Brussels for discussions on practical matters, including potential cooperation on deportation procedures.

The developments point to increasingly pragmatic cooperation between Berlin and the IEA, despite Germany continuing to withhold formal recognition of the Afghan authorities.