The German government carried out on Friday morning its first deportation flight of Afghan nationals back to their home country, according to a statement published by Germany’s Minister of Interior and Home Affairs Nancy Faeser.
The deported individuals were 28 Afghans who had been convicted of criminal offenses and were subject to deportation orders. They were residing illegally in Germany after entering from other European countries.
This marks the first deportation flight organized by Germany since the Taliban’s takeover in August 2021, which had halted returns to Afghanistan due to human rights concerns. “In recent months, we as the federal government have done a lot to ensure that repatriation in these cases becomes possible again,” stated Interior Minister Nancy Faeser.
The deportation coincided with a nationwide debate on refugees, migration, and counterterrorism laws following a deadly knife attack in Solingen. The attack occurred during a city festival on August 23, resulting in three fatalities. The attacker was arrested and charged with murder and membership in a terrorist organization.
Following the attack, Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz vowed to expedite the deportation of migrants who are illegally residing in Germany.
The deportation flight aligns with the German government’s policy to combat terrorist threats and enhance security. In response to the Solingen attack, the Federal Ministry of the Interior, the Federal Ministry of Justice, and the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection announced a package of security measures. These measures include tightening gun laws, expanding the powers of security forces to combat and investigate Islamist terrorism, and reducing irregular migration.
This last measure involves deporting migrants who lack the right to remain in Germany, including asylum seekers governed by the Dublin Regulation, which assigns the responsibility for processing asylum applications. Under this regulation, individuals whose asylum claims are to be handled by another EU state and whose readmission has been accepted will no longer receive benefits and will be deported from Germany.
Addressing future deportation flights, Interior Minister Nancy Faeser stated that “we will continue to talk to partners because we have said that we will not talk directly to the Taliban… But I also ask for your understanding, we have to hold very sensitive talks there, which is why I will not go into detail.”