The German government on Monday announced that it had allowed temporary entry to a group of representatives of the Taliban government to facilitate the return of thousands of Afghans to Afghanistan.
“We have approved the temporary entry of a technical support group,” a spokesman for Germany’s Foreign Ministry said at a press conference in Berlin. He explained that the measure aims “to increase the number of deportations to Afghanistan.”
Tightening migration policy
The spokesman also noted that Germany wants Afghan representatives to provide consular services to roughly 450,000 Afghan citizens residing in the country and to assist, in particular, with return operations.
He added that the representatives had undergone “a security check,” “were not accredited diplomats in Germany,” and would depart “after a short stay.”
After Germany accepted a significant number of refugees and asylum seekers in recent years, Berlin has tightened its migration policy. This shift occurs under conservative Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who seeks to curb the growing popularity of the far‑right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.
Merz’s government has stated that deportations to Afghanistan will be limited to criminals. Nevertheless, last week 23 Afghan men were sent back, including individuals who had not been convicted of any offense.
Human‑rights organisations have sharply criticized deportations to Afghanistan, where the Taliban are accused of serious human‑rights violations.
According to ABC
