Germany reportedly deported several criminals to Afghanistan on Friday morning, marking the first deportation flight since the Taliban seized power.
According to a media report, Germany deported several criminals to Afghanistan on Friday morning, the first such operation since the Taliban took control. The German government apparently organized the deportation, which involved multiple offenders. The news was first reported by “Der Spiegel,” and later confirmed by the Saxony Interior Ministry in response to inquiries from “Die Zeit.” A chartered Qatar Airways jet took off from Leipzig early in the morning, bound for Kabul.
This marks the first deportation flight to Afghanistan since the Taliban’s rise to power three years ago. “Der Spiegel” cited security sources, stating that 28 Afghan criminals were on board the Boeing 787. These individuals had been transported to Leipzig from various federal states during the night.
€1,000 cash for each deportee
The deportation involved participation from Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Berlin, Hesse, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia. The operation was organized by the Federal Ministry of the Interior, and each deportee reportedly received €1,000 in cash. A doctor was also on board the flight.
Focus on serious cases
According to “Die Welt,” the focus was on serious criminal cases. Among the 28 deportees was an Afghan who had been convicted in 2022 for raping a 14-year-old girl in Illerkirchberg. The Interior Ministry of Baden-Württemberg had been pushing for his deportation for a year and a half.
Another deportee reportedly included a man who raped an 11-year-old girl in Neustrelitz in 2022. The offender had been sentenced to probation, a decision that sparked significant political controversy at the time.
The “Die Welt” report also mentioned two Afghan criminals from Saxony-Anhalt among the deportees. The state’s Interior Ministry stated, “These are two male individuals. One person was convicted of double rape and is serving a multi-year juvenile detention sentence.” The second person had been convicted of sexual abuse of minors, and further investigations are underway concerning charges of rape and providing drugs to minors.
The preparations for this deportation had been ongoing for about two months. The timing of the flight, exactly one week after the knife attack in Solingen and just before state elections in East Germany, adds significance to the event. On Thursday, August 29, the German government announced a new package to tighten asylum and migration policies. The package includes a plan to resume deportations to Syria and Afghanistan.
Amnesty International’s response
Amnesty International Germany has criticized the deportations. Julia Duchrow, Secretary General of Amnesty International Germany, stated, “Human rights apply to all of us – and no one should be deported to a country where they face the threat of torture.” She expressed alarm at the German government’s decision to proceed with the deportations to Afghanistan. According to Duchrow, Afghanistan remains unsafe, with extrajudicial executions, disappearances, and torture being commonplace.
