Muhammad Usman Amin

ISLAMABAD: Germany Federal Ministry of the Interior Spokesperson Elena Singer stated on Wednesday, in an exclusive comment to Pakistan TV Digital, that it has held talks with Afghanistan&rsquo;s de facto authorities to establish a formal process for deporting Afghan nationals.&nbsp;Speaking to Pakistan TV Digital, the ministry spokesperson confirmed that discussions were held at a technical level with Kabul&rsquo;s de facto authorities to create a structured mechanism for deporting Afghan migrants from Germany.&nbsp;This development follows recent reports that Germany had offered certain Afghan individuals in Pakistan, who had been shortlisted for asylum in Germany. This includes a sum of &euro;1,500 to forgo relocation to Germany and remain in Pakistan, or &euro;5,000 to return to Afghanistan, a move that has caused dismay among asylum hopefuls.&nbsp;In an official statement to Pakistan TV Digital, the spokesperson confirmed the new government&rsquo;s policy to repatriate Afghan citizens, a move signaling a controversial engagement with the Taliban.&nbsp;&ldquo;The Federal Government is currently holding talks with the Afghan de facto authorities in order to establish a return mechanism that will allow the regular repatriation of Afghan citizens,&rdquo; said Singer.&nbsp;The ministry stated that this policy is part of the government&rsquo;s &ldquo;coalition agreement.&rdquo;&nbsp;The incumbent Friedrich Merz-led government in Germany, a coalition between the Christian Democrats and the Social Democrats, signed an agreement during their campaign pledging to take a tougher stance on migration and to resume deportations of Afghans and Syrians. This marks a departure from the previous administration, which had promised not to carry out such deportations.&nbsp;The statement further noted that deportations &ldquo;will be resumed, starting with criminals and persons considered a potential threat.&rdquo;&nbsp;This new diplomatic engagement follows a precedent set in July 2025, when &ldquo;a first return operation under the current government took place, during which 81 Afghan citizens who had committed serious crimes in Germany were repatriated.&rdquo;&nbsp;Previously, deportations had been conducted with Qatar acting as an intermediary. However, this time Germany is engaging directly with the Afghan authorities.&nbsp;The goal of the new talks is to move beyond one-off operations and establish a regularized process.&nbsp;The spokesperson noted that the &ldquo;return mechanism&rdquo; is intended for Afghan citizens who &ldquo;have no legal right to stay in Germany and are required to leave the country.&rdquo;&nbsp;This could potentially mean that deportations will be expanded to include Afghans whose asylum applications have been rejected and who are therefore residing illegally in Germany.&nbsp;Moreover, the ministry&rsquo;s use of the term &ldquo;de facto authorities,&rdquo; instead of &ldquo;the Afghan government,&rdquo; when referring to the Taliban, clearly indicates that Berlin is dealing with the group in power without recognizing it as the legitimate government.&nbsp;The ministry acknowledged the sensitive nature of the negotiations, concluding that &ldquo;no further information can be provided at this stage of the talks.&rdquo;

Afghanistan

Germany’s Interior Ministry confirms holding talks with Afghanistan’s de facto authorities; purpose is to establish a formal deportation process for Afghan nationals; marking direct engagement with the Taliban after previous indirect repatriations via Qatar

Articles tagged with "Afghans"

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