Germany deports 81 Afghan nationals to their homeland

Germany deported dozens of Afghan nationals to their homeland on Friday, the second time it has done so since the Islamic Emirate returned to power and the first since a new government pledging a tougher line on migration took office in Berlin.

According to the Associated Press, Germany’s Interior Ministry said a flight took off Friday morning carrying 81 Afghans, all of them men who had previously come to judicial authorities’ attention. It said in a statement that the deportation was carried out with the help of Qatar, and said the government aims to deport more people to Afghanistan in the future.

More than 10 months ago, Germany’s previous government deported Afghan nationals to their homeland for the first time since the Islamic Emirate returned to power in 2021. Then-Chancellor Olaf Scholz vowed to step up deportations of asylum-seekers.

New Chancellor Friedrich Merz made tougher migration policy a central plank of his campaign for Germany’s election in February.

Just after he took office in early May, the government stationed more police at the border and said some asylum-seekers trying to enter Europe’s biggest economy would be turned away. It also has suspended family reunions for many migrants.

Afghan Foreign Ministry said its consular department had issued documents for the 81 Afghans following talks with the German government.

The ministry said that it “expresses gratitude to the brotherly State of Qatar for its effective role & facilitation in this process, & assures that discussions will continue to ensure transparent & standard consular services for all Afghans residing in Germany.”