Afghanistan Peace Campaign
Germany deported 30 Afghan nationals to Kabul on Tuesday aboard a charter flight from Leipzig, continuing its policy of returning Afghan citizens despite ongoing security and humanitarian concerns in Afghanistan.
The deportation flight departed from Leipzig/Halle Airport and marked Germany’s latest forced return operation to Afghanistan since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021. German authorities said the operation primarily targeted Afghan nationals who had been ordered to leave the country, particularly those with criminal convictions or considered security threats.
However, German media reported that some of the deported Afghans did not have criminal records, raising renewed criticism from refugee advocates and human rights organizations over the government’s deportation policy.
According to official figures, Germany has now deported 257 Afghan nationals to Afghanistan since the Taliban regained control of the country. The returns have been carried out through charter flights despite Berlin’s continued position that Afghanistan remains a country with serious security and human rights risks.
The deportations are part of the German government’s tougher migration policy under Chancellor Friedrich Merz, whose administration has pledged stricter enforcement against failed asylum seekers and foreign nationals convicted of crimes. Berlin has argued that people who commit serious offenses can be returned even if broader deportations to Afghanistan remain limited.
Human rights organizations have repeatedly warned against forced returns to Afghanistan, citing widespread insecurity, economic collapse and severe restrictions on women and girls under Taliban rule. The United Nations has also described Afghanistan as one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises, with millions of people dependent on humanitarian assistance.