Germany allows additional Taliban consular representatives to enter to facilitate deportations

Background: Contacts without recognition

Although the German government does not recognize the government of the radical-Islamic Taliban, it has, according to its own statements, maintained contacts with their representatives for some time. These contacts had recently been further expanded, the Federal Foreign Office in Berlin said. "Auch Deutschland erkennt die Regierung der radikal-islamischen Taliban nicht an. Allerdings unterhält die Bundesregierung Kontakte mit Taliban-Vertretern und hat diese zuletzt weiter ausgebaut," said a spokesperson for the Federal Foreign Office in Berlin.

The now-announced expansion of the consular presence is, according to the German government, the result of negotiations at a technical level with representatives of the Taliban leadership. Deportations require the cooperation of Afghan officials, for example in issuing passports and verifying identities. Without this cooperation, persons required to leave the country cannot simply be returned to their homeland.

Expansion of deportations

The Federal Interior Ministry had announced the previous day that up to three charter flights per month to Afghanistan would be possible in the future. This is intended to significantly increase the number of returns of Afghan criminal offenders. According to the Federal Foreign Office, the matter concerns exclusively Afghan nationals who have committed criminal offenses, and not a broader return policy.

The additional consular officials are to carry out identity checks in Germany in particular and to issue or authenticate travel documents. This is to ensure that those affected are actually accepted by the Afghan authorities. Without valid documents, the Taliban authorities generally refuse entry.

Criticism from human rights organizations

The German government emphasizes that the cooperation is purely technical in nature and limited to migration and consular matters. It is not connected to political or diplomatic recognition. The contacts were proceeding via existing channels, it was added.

Human rights activists and refugee organizations have expressed criticism of the expansion of deportations, according to reports. They point to the situation in Afghanistan, in particular to restrictions on returning women and girls as well as to reports of repression by the Taliban.

The report was broadcast on 23.06.2026 on the Deutschlandfunk program. The German government announced that it would further operationalize the procedure in the coming weeks and provide regular updates on progress.