Germany resumes deportation flights to Afghanistan

For the first time in almost a year, a deportation flight has departed from Germany to Afghanistan. A plane from Qatar took off from Leipzig on Friday, as Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) confirmed on the ARD program "Morgenmagazin" after the plane's takeoff. On board were "serious and extremely serious criminals who are being deported."

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According to the Federal Ministry of the Interior, 81 Afghan nationals are to be repatriated to their country of origin as part of the operation. All are "Afghan men who are legally required to leave the country and who have a criminal record in the past." The flight is being carried out "with the assistance of the strategic security partnership with the Emirate of Qatar."

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"We have repeatedly announced in recent weeks that there would be a deportation flight and future deportations to Afghanistan," Dobrindt said on the "Morgenmagazin" program. "That has come true today." This was done in "close cooperation between the Foreign Ministry, the Interior Ministry, and the Chancellery" and with the participation of strategic partners.

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According to Dobrindt, there were contacts with Afghanistan beforehand. He spoke of "technical contacts" below diplomatic relations. He said that he and the Foreign Minister "completely agree that if you want to enable deportations to Afghanistan, you also have to have contacts with the Afghans." "The main thing is to make Germany safer and ensure that serious and extremely serious criminals are deported," Dobrindt told ARD.

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In a statement from the Federal Ministry of the Interior, he further explained that "we are beginning to implement another part of the policy change from the coalition agreement." "Deportations to Afghanistan must continue to be possible safely in the future. There is no right of residence for serious criminals in our country," he clarified. The last deportation flight with criminals to Afghanistan had taken place during the time of the "traffic light" government at the federal level in August 2024.

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The human rights organization Amnesty International sharply criticized the deportation flight. The human rights situation in Afghanistan is "catastrophic," and "extrajudicial executions, enforced disappearances, and torture" are commonplace there. No one deserves this, "not even criminals," explained Amnesty International's Secretary General in Germany, Julia Duchrow. "Human rights either apply to everyone, or to no one."

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