Germany deports 31 criminals to Afghanistan – Dobrindt defends agreement with the Taliban

Agreement with the Taliban as the basis

According to the Federal Government's account, the legal basis is a direct agreement with the Islamist Taliban ruling in Afghanistan, which enables the Federal Government to carry out regular deportations to Afghanistan without intermediary states. Critics point out that the German government does not recognize the Taliban due to severe human rights violations, particularly against women, while nevertheless making practical concessions to enable deportations.

One such concession concerns the deployment of individual diplomats to Afghan missions in Germany, where previously only diplomats of the previous government had been active. According to dpa information, what matters to the Taliban above all is placing more of their own diplomats at the Afghan missions in Germany.

Already at the beginning of June, a planned collective deportation flight had been canceled after the Taliban government in Kabul was, according to dpa, dissatisfied with what it saw as the lack of willingness to engage in dialogue on the part of representatives of the Federal Foreign Office. A flight originally prepared for the end of May had likewise been postponed.

Dobrindt defends the approach

On Friday, Dobrindt defended the expansion of deportations to Afghanistan against criticism. "Wer ein Asylverfahren negativ durchlaufen hat, verpflichtend ausreisepflichtig ist, der muss natürlich auch damit rechnen, dass diese Ausreise dann auch erwirkt wird, wenn sie nicht freiwillig vollzogen wird," he said.

According to the assessment of the UN migration agency IOM, the security situation in Afghanistan has improved significantly. IOM country chief Park told the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland: "Die Sicherheitslage in Afghanistan habe sich deutlich verbessert, das sei schlicht eine objektive Tatsache". At the same time, he expressly advised women against returning: "Frauen rate sie dagegen ausdrücklich von einer Rückkehr ab". According to the assessment of the UN migration agency, it is possible for Afghan men to return to their home country without danger.

Situation in Afghanistan remains precarious

Nonetheless, according to UNHCR, Afghanistan faces a severe humanitarian crisis. More than 90 percent of returnees live on less than five US dollars per day. Nearly 3.9 million people have returned to Afghanistan from the neighboring countries Iran and Pakistan alone since the summer of 2021.

Experts see critical hunger in nearly all of the country's provinces. At least 3.7 million young children and 1.2 million pregnant or nursing mothers are considered acutely malnourished. Ongoing droughts and earthquakes are further exacerbating the situation.

At Kabul Airport, several families were waiting for the arriving deportees, according to eyewitness reports. On site, officials told those waiting that the deportees would, among other things, have to undergo questioning by the ruling Taliban after landing. Subsequently, those affected could potentially be released after assurances from their families.

Reactions and criticism

The Federal Government justifies the direct cooperation with the Taliban solely on the basis of migration policy requirements. Human rights activists and parts of the opposition criticize the agreement as de facto normalization of the regime and demand comprehensive parliamentary oversight of deportation practice.

The news about the renewed deportation was broadcast on July 28, 2026 on the Deutschlandfunk program. Further background and reactions from the state interior ministries were not officially communicated by the afternoon.