Attaullah Omari, Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, met with Shaji Krishnan V., Chairman of India’s National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), during his official visit to India, discussing the expansion of bilateral cooperation in agriculture, rural development, and institutional capacity building.

In a statement, the Ministry of Agriculture said the meeting was attended by representatives from India’s Ministry of External Affairs, the Ministry of Financial Services, and senior officials of the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development. The two sides discussed ways to strengthen cooperation in agricultural development, rural development, technical and institutional capacity building, and expanding joint initiatives.

According to the statement, Omari highlighted the importance of agricultural development and improving conditions in rural areas, emphasizing the expansion of joint cooperation and the use of successful experiences to strengthen agricultural capacities and achieve sustainable development.

The meeting was held as part of the official visit of the Ministry of Agriculture delegation to India, aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation in the fields of agriculture, livestock, and rural development.

Afghanistan and India held the fourth round of their Joint Committee Meeting on Thursday, with discussions covering the full spectrum of bilateral relations.

According to Indian Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, the meeting was co-chaired by M. Anand Prakash, Joint Secretary (Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran Division) at India’s Ministry of External Affairs, and Shuaib Baryalai, Director General (First Political) at Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“The 4th round of India-Afghanistan Joint Committee Meeting, co-chaired by Shri M. Anand Prakash, JS (PAI), MEA, and H.E. Shuaib Baryalai, DG (First Political), Afghan MoFA, was held today. Discussions focused on the entire gamut of bilateral relations,” Jaiswal wrote in a post on X.

No further details on the agenda or outcomes of the meeting were immediately released.

For the first time in years, the German government is preparing to deport Afghan nationals, who have no criminal records and are not considered security threats, back to Afghanistan, according to a report by German newspaper taz.

A survey by taz among refugee councils in all 16 German states found that at least five Afghans who are neither convicted criminals nor considered a danger to public safety are currently being held in deportation detention. The responsible state interior ministries have not released official figures on the number of such cases.

Germany halted deportations to Afghanistan for several years after the Islamic Emirate returned to power in 2021. Germany’s policy changed in autumn 2024, when the previous coalition government of the Social Democrats (SPD), Greens and Free Democrats (FDP) carried out the first deportations to Afghanistan since the IEA takeover. At that time, only convicted criminals and individuals considered security risks were targeted.

The current government had already signaled in its coalition agreement that it intended to expand deportations to include Afghans without criminal backgrounds. Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt of the Christian Social Union (CSU) has also negotiated arrangements aimed at facilitating deportations to Afghanistan, while allowing more IEA representatives to enter Germany for related procedures.

According to refugee councils, four of the five Afghans currently facing deportation are being held in Bavaria, while another is detained in Hesse. A sixth Afghan man was briefly held in deportation detention in Lower Saxony but was released on Tuesday after the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) reportedly issued an incorrect notice.

The cases appear to share a similar pattern. According to taz, the individuals came to the attention of the Federal Police after leaving Germany temporarily. Two of them were reportedly returned to Germany under the European Union’s Dublin rules, while others were detained while attempting to re-enter the country.

Such situations do not automatically lead to deportation, but refugee organizations say there are indications that the treatment of Afghan nationals by German authorities has changed in recent weeks. The Federal Ministry of the Interior has denied that there has been any change in policy.

The German Interior Ministry has provided some new figures on deportations to Afghanistan. According to government data, 10 Afghans have been deported this year through individual operations, separate from larger charter flights.

In addition, 77 Afghans have been deported through charter flights so far this year. The latest charter flight in mid-June involved 92 federal police officers and cost more than €350,000.