Germany has resumed direct charter deportations of Afghan nationals to Kabul under an agreement that allows regular removals without third-country routing. A flight left Leipzig/Halle early Tuesday, confirmed by Saxony's Interior Ministry; federal authorities did not immediately comment. Witnesses at Kabul airport said deportees would be processed by Taliban officials and could be released after family assurances. Critics argue the move reflects pragmatic concessions despite Germany's public stance against Taliban human-rights abuses, while Afghanistan continues to face a grave humanitarian crisis.
Germany Resumes Charter Deportations of Afghans to Kabul Under Tacit Taliban Agreement
FILE PHOTO - A plane of a British charter company is ready on the apron of the airport for a deportation flight to Afghanistan. German police officers accompany the deportation of an unknown number of Afghans to Kabul. (is associated with: «Germany again deports Afghans to Kabul under agreement with Taliban») Boris Roessler/dpa
Germany has resumed charter deportations of Afghan nationals to Kabul under a direct agreement with the Taliban, officials said. A flight departed from Leipzig/Halle Airport in the early hours of Tuesday, according to reports from dpa.
The Interior Ministry of the eastern state of Saxony confirmed the operation; the federal Interior Ministry did not immediately comment. No details on the number or identities of those deported were released.
What Witnesses Reported
Eyewitnesses at Kabul airport said they saw several families waiting for arriving passengers. Airport officials told those gathered that deportees would be processed and questioned by Taliban representatives on arrival and that, in some cases, individuals might be released after family assurances were provided.
Agreement and Controversy
The removals rely on a direct arrangement enabling Germany to carry out regular deportations to Afghanistan without routing returns through third countries. Critics say the government faces a contradiction: while it refuses to recognize the Taliban because of documented human-rights abuses—particularly against women—it has made pragmatic concessions to facilitate deportations. These concessions reportedly include permission for individual diplomats to visit Afghan missions in Germany, where previously only envoys appointed by the former Afghan government operated.
Earlier in June, a planned mass deportation of men — originally scheduled for late May — was cancelled after Taliban authorities declined to cooperate with that operation.
Humanitarian Context
Afghanistan is enduring a severe humanitarian emergency. Aid agencies estimate that at least 3.7 million young children and 1.2 million pregnant or breastfeeding mothers are acutely malnourished, and experts warn of critical levels of hunger across most provinces. Observers warn that deportations to a country in such crisis raise urgent protection and safety concerns.
Note: Authorities have not released numbers or identifying details for those deported on this flight, and additional information may emerge as officials comment.
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