Germany in talks with IEA on deporting Afghan criminal offenders

Senior officials from Germany’s Interior Ministry have held direct talks in Kabul to discuss the resumption of regular deportation flights for Afghan nationals with criminal records, marking Berlin’s most significant engagement with the Islamic Emirate authorities since their return to power in 2021.

A ministry spokeswoman confirmed the discussions on Sunday, describing them as “technical talks.” According to public broadcaster ARD, a high-ranking Interior Ministry official traveled to Kabul last Wednesday, while Der Spiegel reported that two additional officials continued meetings over the weekend.

Germany’s Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt told Bild am Sonntag that Berlin aims to establish a structured mechanism for deportations.

“Deportations to Afghanistan must be able to take place regularly,” Dobrindt said. “That’s why we are now negotiating directly in Kabul — so that criminals and potential threats can be consistently deported in the future.”

The move reflects growing political pressure in Germany to tighten deportation policies following a series of high-profile crimes involving rejected asylum seekers. However, the talks remain controversial as Germany, like most Western nations, does not officially recognize the Islamic Emirate government.

Since the Islamic Emirate’s takeover in August 2021, Germany has carried out two limited deportations of Afghan nationals, facilitated through Qatar.

If an agreement is reached, Germany would become the first EU country to resume systematic deportations to Afghanistan under the Islamic Emirate — a move likely to spark debate within Europe over engagement with the government and the treatment of Afghan refugees.