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Germany signs agreement on migration with Uzbekistan
Berlin had stopped returning people to Afghanistan because of human rights concerns after the Islamic Emirate took power in 2021.
Germany has signed a deal with Uzbekistan to enable the migration of skilled workers from the Central Asian nation to support the German economy and the return of some immigrants, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said.
“We are enabling the necessary immigration of workers with great talent that we need in Germany so that our economy can grow,” Scholz said on Sunday after a meeting with Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in the Uzbek city of Samarkand, Reuters reported.
The two countries also agreed on “simple, unbureaucratic procedures for those who have to go back,” Scholz said, without elaborating.
He did not respond to media speculation that the agreement with Uzbekistan would also serve to deport Afghans who had committed crimes.
“Otherwise, of course, there are confidential talks about cooperation in many areas,” he added.
Germany said on Aug. 30 it had resumed deportations of convicted criminals of Afghan nationality to their home country, days before regional elections in which migration was a campaign issue.
Berlin had stopped returning people to Afghanistan because of human rights concerns after the Islamic Emirate took power in 2021.
German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser, who accompanied Scholz and who signed the agreement in Samarkand, said she was planning further flights to Afghanistan in order to deport serious offenders of Afghan nationality, Reuters reported.
“But we will see with which countries we do this in cooperation,” Faeser said.
The German government has no direct relations with the Taliban government in Afghanistan and the first deportation flight in August was mediated by Qatar.
Sources close to Acting Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani tell Ariana News that the U.S. government has removed bounties on several Islamic Emirate officials.
According to the sources, those no longer on the list include Sirajuddin Haqqani, Abdul Aziz Haqqani, and Yahya Haqqani.
Acting Minister of Industry and Commerce, Nooruddin Azizi, and Mohammad Sadiq, Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, met on Saturday to address ongoing trade and transit challenges, stressing the importance of preventing political tensions from impacting economic ties, the ministry said in a statement.
The two officials focused on finalizing the Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) and resolving issues related to the Afghanistan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA), the statement read.
The meeting also discussed the upcoming visit of Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister to Afghanistan and a planned visit by an Islamic Emirate delegation to Pakistan.
The ministry hailed Sadiq’s visit to Kabul as a positive step, with Azizi emphasizing its constructive role in enhancing bilateral trade relations.
Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan Mohammad Sadiq met on Saturday and discussed bilateral relations, political and economic cooperation, security and transit, said Zia Ahmad Takal, head of public relations at Foreign Ministry in a statement.
In this meeting, Muttaqi emphasized that obstacles to trade and transit are not in anyone’s interest and that certain issues should not be linked together.
He added that the process of Afghan refugees returning from Pakistan should be carried out gradually and with dignity.
According to the statement, Pakistan’s special representative also acknowledged that ensuring security in Afghanistan benefits both Pakistan and the region.
He committed to introducing measures to facilitate the visa issuance process for Afghan citizens.
Mohammad Sadiq also stated that practical steps will be taken to resolve existing trade and transit challenges.
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