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ISKP Claims Killing of Information Chief in Afghanistan’s Badakhshan

July 30, 2026
Khaama Press

The Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) has claimed responsibility for the killing of Zabihullah Amiri, the Taliban-appointed director of information and culture in northeastern Badakhshan province.

According to Agence France-Presse, the monitoring group SITE reported that Islamic State Khorasan (ISKP) said in a statement on Wednesday that its members targeted Amiri on Tuesday while he was travelling toward Faizabad, the capital of Badakhshan, killing him and one of his guards.

Amiri was killed on Tuesday while travelling on the road between Faizabad and Baharak, according to Afghanistan’s Information Ministry and provincial police. Two armed attackers on a motorcycle opened fire on his vehicle. Amiri’s guards returned fire, killing one attacker and capturing the other, according to authorities.

Amiri was a senior provincial official responsible for information and cultural affairs in Badakhshan, a strategically located province bordering Tajikistan, China and Pakistan. He had previously spoken publicly about government activities and cultural sites in the province.

The killing is significant because targeted attacks on senior Taliban officials have become relatively rare since the group seized power in 2021. The attack nonetheless highlights the continuing threat posed by ISKP, which has remained active despite Taliban operations aimed at dismantling the group.

Badakhshan has previously been the scene of high-profile attacks attributed to ISKP. In June 2023, the group claimed responsibility for a car bombing in Faizabad that killed the province’s deputy governor, Nisar Ahmad Ahmadi, and his driver, as well as a later suicide bombing at a memorial service that killed at least 13 people.

The Taliban has repeatedly said it has improved security across Afghanistan and weakened militant groups. ISKP, however, continues to pose a security challenge through targeted attacks and bombings, particularly against Taliban officials and other high-profile figures.

The killing of Amiri could put additional pressure on Taliban authorities to demonstrate that they can protect senior officials and maintain security in remote provinces. It also underscores the continuing rivalry between the Taliban and ISKP, which oppose each other ideologically and have repeatedly fought for influence in Afghanistan.

For now, authorities have not provided details on the identity or motive of the surviving attacker, and the circumstances surrounding the attack remain under investigation.

ISKP Claims Killing of Information Chief in Afghanistan’s Badakhshan
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UNODC, IOM Warn of Rising Human Trafficking Risks in Afghanistan

July 30, 2026
Khaama Press

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) have warned that Afghans returning from Iran and Pakistan face increased risks of human trafficking, forced labour and other forms of exploitation.

In a joint statement marking World Day Against Trafficking in Persons on Thursday, July 30, the two agencies said many returnees are arriving in communities already struggling with poverty, limited access to basic services and severe economic pressures, increasing their vulnerability to exploitation.

The agencies identified women, children, internally displaced people and returnees among those particularly vulnerable to trafficking and abuse.

UNODC and IOM called for stronger, coordinated measures to prevent trafficking and protect victims, including better identification of people at risk, improved access to protection and assistance, and greater cooperation among law-enforcement and justice institutions.

They also urged authorities and humanitarian partners to raise public awareness about trafficking risks, particularly among communities facing severe economic and social pressures.

The warning comes as Afghanistan continues to receive large numbers of people returning from neighbouring countries. The scale of returns has placed additional pressure on communities already facing a prolonged humanitarian and economic crisis, leaving some families with limited income, housing and access to essential services.

The UN agencies said addressing the underlying causes of trafficking is essential to reducing vulnerability. They called for expanded livelihood opportunities, better access to education and stronger basic services to help prevent people from falling into exploitative situations.

For many returnees, the risk can increase during and immediately after displacement, when families may lack stable housing, income or social support. Children and women can face additional risks when families are separated or forced to rely on informal work and assistance networks.

UNODC and IOM stressed that preventing trafficking cannot be addressed by Afghanistan alone. They called for cooperation among Afghanistan institutions, neighbouring countries and international organisations to identify vulnerable people during cross-border movements, prevent exploitation and ensure that victims receive appropriate support.

The agencies also urged that returning Afghans have access to accurate information, basic services and protection mechanisms as they seek to rebuild their lives.

The warning highlights the broader humanitarian challenge facing Afghanistan, where poverty, displacement and limited economic opportunities can leave vulnerable people exposed to criminal networks and abusive forms of employment.

UNODC and IOM said sustained prevention, victim protection and regional cooperation are essential to ensuring that Afghans returning from abroad do not become further victims of exploitation.

UNODC, IOM Warn of Rising Human Trafficking Risks in Afghanistan
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US Judge Rules Travel Ban Cannot Block Afghan Refugees’ Family Reunification

July 30, 2026
Khaama Press

A US federal judge has ruled that the Trump administration unlawfully applied its Afghan travel restrictions to the spouses and children of seven Afghan nationals who were granted asylum in the United States, a decision that could allow the affected families to move forward with reunification.

US District Judge Anthony J. Trenga of the Eastern District of Virginia ruled in a case brought by seven Afghan families whose asylum status in the United States had been approved and whose spouses or children had also received approval through the I-730 follow-to-join process. Court records show that all of the relevant I-730 petitions had been approved by US Citizenship and Immigration Services before the State Department applied the travel restrictions to the family members.

The case challenges the application of Presidential Proclamations 10949 and 10998, which restrict the entry of Afghan nationals into the United States. Both proclamations contain language stating that they do not apply to people granted asylum and do not limit an individual’s ability to seek asylum.

Judge Trenga previously rejected the government’s attempt to dismiss the lawsuit. In a May 2026 ruling, he found that the State Department’s blanket application of the proclamations to the Afghan families was subject to judicial review and that the derivative family members were clearly seeking asylum.

The court said the State Department had effectively adopted a categorical policy rather than making individualized decisions in the families’ cases. The judge also found that the plaintiffs had plausibly established procedural due-process claims related to the legally established follow-to-join asylum process.

Under the I-730 process, people granted asylum in the United States may petition for their spouses and unmarried children under 21 to join them. In this case, the approved petitions had been transferred for consular processing, but some relatives were denied or delayed at the final stage after the government invoked the travel restrictions.

The ruling is significant because it addresses a specific category of Afghan families whose reunification cases had already progressed through the US immigration system. It does not overturn the broader travel restrictions on Afghan nationals. Proclamation 10998, which took effect in January 2026, continued the suspension of entry for Afghan nationals and removed some categorical exceptions that had existed under the earlier proclamation.

The case also highlights the tension between the Trump administration’s national-security-based entry restrictions and protections contained in US asylum and immigration law. The administration has defended the restrictions as necessary for national security, while the Afghan families argued that applying them categorically to approved derivative-asylum cases undermined the family-reunification process.

For the affected families, the decision could provide a route toward completing cases that had been stalled after years of separation. The court’s reasoning may also influence how US agencies handle other Afghan follow-to-join cases affected by the travel restrictions.

The broader impact, however, will depend on how the State Department implements the ruling and whether the government appeals or seeks further legal review. The case therefore remains important for Afghan families separated by US immigration restrictions, even though the decision is limited to the claims and circumstances before the court.

US Judge Rules Travel Ban Cannot Block Afghan Refugees’ Family Reunification
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880 Afghans Return After Release From Pakistani Prisons

July 30, 2026
TOLOnews
TV Network
30 July 2026

Turkish authorities said that seven children were among those detained and that all of them are Afghan nationals.

As the detention and return of Afghan migrants from various countries continues, the Islamic Emirate’s Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation says that 880 Afghan citizens have returned to the country via the provinces of Nangarhar and Kandahar after being released from prisons in Pakistan.

According to a statement from the ministry, the returnees include families, children, and single individuals who had been detained in Pakistan for various reasons.

Pekar, an Afghan migrant in Pakistan, said: “In recent days, we have witnessed the worst situation for Afghan migrants. Unfortunately, police in different provinces of Pakistan raided migrants’ homes. Although their behavior was somewhat more humane than that of the police in Punjab and Islamabad, they still refused to accept any excuse or document other than a valid visa.”

Meanwhile, the Turkish Coast Guard announced the detention of 32 undocumented migrants in the Ezine district of Çanakkale province.

Turkish authorities said that seven children were among those detained and that all of them are Afghan nationals.

Migrant rights activists say that the continued detention and deportation of Afghan citizens by host countries has heightened serious humanitarian concerns and requires greater attention and support from international organizations.

Abdul Raziq Adil, a migrant rights activist, said: “The repeated arrests in Turkey and the continued mass deportations from Pakistan and Iran show that security-driven approaches have replaced humanitarian solutions.”

Abdul Zohour Modaber, an economic analyst, said: “There is a need to create employment opportunities and build the capacities of returnees. Immediate assistance should also be provided for their livelihoods, including food, clothing, and shelter.”

The return of Afghan migrants from Pakistan, Iran, and several other countries has increased in recent months, while international organizations have repeatedly stressed the importance of ensuring that returns are voluntary, safe, and dignified.

880 Afghans Return After Release From Pakistani Prisons
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Iran Offers to Mediate Between Afghanistan and Pakistan Amid Tensions

July 30, 2026
TOLOnews
TV Network
30 July 2026

In another part of his remarks, the Iranian diplomat also addressed relations between Kabul and Tehran.

Iran’s deputy ambassador in Kabul has expressed concern over the recent tensions between Kabul and Islamabad, warning against any further escalation.

Seyed Hassan Mortazavi said Iran has been trying to play a mediating role since the beginning of the tensions and has sought to facilitate dialogue between the two sides to reduce their differences.

“Our leadership raised this issue in its first message and stated that we are ready to mediate between the two countries. We are concerned about the conflict between our neighboring and friendly country, Pakistan, and our friendly country, Afghanistan,” said Seyed Hassan Mortazavi, Iran’s deputy ambassador in Kabul.

In another part of his remarks, the Iranian diplomat also addressed relations between Kabul and Tehran.

Mortazavi stressed that Tehran supports good relations with Afghanistan and does not interfere in the country’s internal affairs under any circumstances.

“The Islamic Republic does not necessarily endorse everything. We, too, are concerned about some of the issues and problems in Afghanistan. All the people of Afghanistan are like part of the Islamic Republic’s own family. We offer reminders and advice, but we do not interfere,” Mortazavi said.

Although Iran has maintained strong economic and political relations with the Islamic Emirate over the past five years, it has not yet formally recognized the Islamic Emirate’s government.

Iran Offers to Mediate Between Afghanistan and Pakistan Amid Tensions
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Future of Afghan Embassies in Japan and Australia Remains Uncertain

July 30, 2026
TOLOnews
TV Network
30 July 2026

Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate, said that the policies of some countries have hindered progress in this regard.

It has been months since the Afghan embassies in Japan and Australia suspended and ceased their operations, yet the future of these diplomatic missions remains uncertain.

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan says the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is working to restore consular services for Afghan citizens in the two countries.

Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate, said that the policies of some countries have hindered progress in this regard.

“The Islamic Emirate has made continuous efforts to provide consular services for Afghans in all countries, and we have done our part. However, these relations depend on the policies of the host countries, their political readiness, and their legal procedures, all of which create obstacles. So far, no progress has been made. We are concerned about the situation, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is making its final efforts to ensure consular services are provided to Afghans there,” Mujahid said.

A number of former Afghan diplomats emphasize that the suspension of embassy operations in Australia and Japan has created serious challenges for Afghan nationals living in those countries. These include difficulties in issuing, renewing and replacing passports, registering births, marriages and divorces, processing commercial documents, assisting detained Afghan citizens, providing legal advice, certifying educational documents, and issuing visas for foreign nationals.

“Consular offices exist to protect the interests of their own citizens, but this is done in coordination with the host country. What is crucial is that, for these ties to function effectively within the framework of the two international conventions, countries must recognize one another,” said Ghaus Janbaz, a former Afghan diplomat.

Another former diplomat, Aziz Maarij, said: “In addition to severing political ties, this also affects trade between the two countries and makes it much more difficult to resolve the problems of migrants. Since there are many Afghan migrants in Australia and Japan, it would be better if at least a consular section remained open.”

Earlier, Afghanistan’s former government embassies in Australia and Japan announced the complete suspension of their operations in the two countries.

Previously, the Islamic Emirate declared the documents issued by 14 Afghan diplomatic missions in Western countries—including London, Paris, Berlin, Vienna and Canada—invalid because those missions were not engaging with Kabul. As a result, documents issued by those missions lost their legal validity.

Future of Afghan Embassies in Japan and Australia Remains Uncertain
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Inquiry finds MoD Afghan data breach was foreseeable failure

July 30, 2026
Henry Mooreand
Hannah O’Grady
BBC News
29 July 2026
BBC People carrying luggage walk across an airport tarmac towards large US military transport aircraft during an evacuationBBC
Britain set up scheme to bring those thought to be the most in danger to safety

A data breach that exposed personal details of thousands of Afghans applying to come to the UK to flee the Taliban was a “foreseeable” failure, a parliamentary inquiry has found.

In a report published on Thursday, the Commons’ Defence Committee said the Ministry of Defence (MoD) had lacked the expertise to run the UK’s Afghan relocation scheme after the fall of Kabul to the Taliban and had used secrecy as a “shield” against proper accountability.

The breach came to light in August 2023 but an unprecedented super-injunction prevented it from being reported on until July 2025.

A MoD spokesperson said the leak “should never have happened” and welcomed the opportunity to learn from the incident.

Man’s anger as brother left in Afghanistan after data breach

A super-injunction is a court-mandated gagging order that forbids news outlets from reporting private or sensitive information.

It also bans the media from revealing that the injunction exists.

The leak was not “an individual mistake” but a “foreseeable systemic failure” caused by “inappropriate tools, weak operating procedures, insufficient training, poor organisational continuity, and an inadequate culture of data protection and accountability”, the Defence Committee said in its report.

The breach, just one of 19 reported between February 2022 and November 2023, was caused by a member of MoD personnel sharing a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet with a “trusted third party”, the committee added. The BBC previously revealed the breach had originated from UK Special Forces (UKSF) headquarters.

The spreadsheet contained data of more than 18,500 applicants to the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (Arap) scheme – every person who had applied to the scheme by January 2022.

Arap was set up in April 2021 to help people who feared their lives were at risk because they had worked with British armed forces in Afghanistan and to resettle eligible applicants and their family members in the UK. It was closed in July 2025.

Committee chairman Tan Dhesi said: “The Ministry of Defence should stick to defence – it should never have been left to run immigration casework schemes.”

The report branded the MoD’s use of Excel a “continuing cultural failure” and described the wider Afghan relocation scheme as “utterly and obviously inadequate”.

Dhesi also hit out at the secrecy surrounding the breach and said the length of the super-injunction “imposed serious costs on accountability and trust”.

It was originally expected to last four months, the report found, but remained in place for almost two years.

What we know so far about Afghan data breach

How bad is Afghan data breach for MI6 and SAS?

The committee also questioned the decision not to provide confidential briefing to parliamentarians, with then-Defence Secretary Grant Shapps pushing back against plans to tell then-shadow defence secretary John Healey of the breach.

Thursday’s report also questioned the government’s overarching policy to not comment on special forces matters, describing it as “inappropriate” in the context of the breach.

The committee added that special forces involvement “should not prevent Parliament and the public from understanding how administrative failings occurred”.

Dhesi said: “Secrecy has been too easily used as a shield against proper accountability in areas far removed from sensitive operations.”

The role of UKSF in the resettlement scheme was also questioned by the committee after reports the breach had been due to their involvement in deciding whether to relocate Afghan special forces.

The committee was unable to establish this connection, due to the “neither confirm nor deny” policy of the government, but it did raise concerns over the handling of these cases.

In February 2024, BBC Panorama revealed that British Special Forces had been given a de facto veto over Arap applications from their Afghan counterparts seeking to relocate to safety in the UK.

Afghan special forces served alongside UKSF on some of the conflict’s most dangerous missions and are considered among those at the highest risk of reprisal since the Taliban takeover.

Last year, the BBC obtained internal MoD documents – also cited in the report – showing a British Special Forces officer personally rejected 1,585 resettlement applications from Afghans with credible links to special forces in a matter of weeks, in 2023. The UKSF officer did not approve a single application during that period.

The rejections from UKSF left many in fear for their lives and former members of the Afghan special forces told the BBC they were living in hiding.

One said he had been interrogated and beaten by the Taliban before he went on the run, while another said he had escaped first but had heard the Taliban had gone to his home looking for him.

“I’m living in a very bad situation. I am in hiding and mostly my family can’t live together and we cannot go out and we cannot work,” he said. “I feel I have been left alone in the midst of hell.”

The government had to announce a review in 2024 and since then 884 former members of Afghan special forces, who served alongside UKSF, have since had their rejections overturned.

The defence committee report outlined that the “proportion of decisions subsequently overturned demonstrates the seriousness of that failure”.

The UK government closed Arap to new applications in 2025, but the report said the government had a “special responsibility” to the Afghan special forces it had wrongly rejected. Many of them had made their applications in 2021, but were still living in fear due to “government delay or error”.

The defence secretary currently faces a legal challenge at the Royal Courts of Justice from former Afghan special forces who are unable to escape to the UK.

In a hearing on Wednesday, the court heard one family had “$200 left to survive”.

A MoD spokesperson said: “This incident should never have happened and we acknowledge the significant impact it has had on many people.

“Thousands of eligible Afghans have already been safely relocated to the UK, where they can rebuild their lives and we are committed to ensuring that we conclude the Afghan resettlement programme by the end of this Parliament.

“We are learning the lessons from this incident and important reforms are already in place, including improved data protection standards, strengthened case-working processes and better programme governance.

“We welcome the public and parliamentary scrutiny of our actions, so we can learn more and be held to account, and we’ll continue to work closely with the committee on this issue.”

Inquiry finds MoD Afghan data breach was foreseeable failure
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Months of fighting between Afghanistan and Pakistan have killed nearly 500 Afghan civilians, UN says

July 30, 2026
By Elena Becatoros | AP
The Washington Post
29 July 2026
The United Nations reports that cross-border fighting between Pakistan and Afghanistan has killed nearly 500 civilians in Afghanistan and wounded over 1,000 others between October and June

Cross-border fighting between Pakistan and Afghanistan has killed nearly 500 civilians in Afghanistan and wounded over 1,000 others between October and the end of June, the United Nations said Tuesday.

In a report on the human rights situation, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan said it had documented 499 civilians killed and 1,216 wounded by the fighting between the neighbors that has defied international peace efforts.

In one case, the report said, civilians trying to rescue others from the rubble of an airstrike were hit by a second one.

The report also explores other human rights issues, including a deadly crackdown on protests in western Afghanistan over restrictions on women’s clothing, and decrees that essentially legalize child marriage.

Pakistan accuses Afghanistan of harboring militants

Pakistan and Afghanistan have been fighting on and off for months. Tension escalated significantly in February , when Afghan forces launched a raid into Pakistan in retaliation for Pakistani airstrikes inside Afghanistan, and Islamabad declared it was in “ open war .”

Pakistan accuses Afghanistan of harboring militants who carry out deadly attacks that have killed thousands over the years in Pakistan, especially the Pakistani Taliban , known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan. The group is allied with the Afghan Taliban , which has ruled Afghanistan since it seized power in 2021 amid the chaotic withdrawal of U.S.-led troops. Kabul denies the allegation.

In the deadliest attack of the fighting, a Pakistani airstrike hit a drug treatment center in the Afghan capital, Kabul, in March, killing hundreds of civilians. Rights group Amnesty International said last week the bombing should be investigated as a possible war crime.
Pakistan has not given an overall figure for civilian casualties caused by the cross-border fighting in its territory. The U.N. mission, known by its acronym UNAMA, noted it is only mandated to monitor incidents in Afghanistan.

Pakistan denies targeting civilians

In a written response to UNAMA’s report, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said Afghanistan’s Taliban government “continues to maintain a permissive environment for a range of (militant) organizations.”

The response did not mention Afghan civilian casualties but said Pakistan’s military strikes “were directed exclusively at identified terrorist hideouts, sanctuaries, and support infrastructure linked to groups responsible for attacks inside Pakistan.”

The hundreds of civilian casualties listed by UNAMA include 22 — five of them children — who were killed in two successive airstrikes on a residential building in the eastern province of Paktia on June 28. At least 185 others were wounded.

Most of the deaths and injuries were caused by the second strike, when locals were trying to rescue the victims of the first one.

“International humanitarian law provides special protections for medical personnel and humanitarian workers, including first responders. Attacks against them while performing their duties are strictly prohibited,” said Fiona Frazer, director of human rights at UNAMA.

Afghan women still face harsh restrictions

UNAMA’s report also highlighted problems faced by women , who are subject to draconian restrictions by Afghanistan’s Taliban government. They include a ban on education beyond primary school, a strict dress code, bans on working in nearly all professions and a requirement to be accompanied by a male relative when outside the home.

Rules governing women’s clothing stipulate they can only go out in public when wearing full hijab — which includes a headscarf and robe covering the entire body — as well as a face covering that leaves only the eyes visible. The regulations are policed by the feared Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice.

However, interpretations of the rules and what constitutes wearing the hijab correctly vary and can be arbitrarily enforced.

The UNAMA report said Vice and Virtue officials visited health clinics and shops in various parts of the country to advise them to refuse entry to women not accompanied by a male relative.

The report also said new rules on separation in marriage “ implicitly sanction child marriage “ by allowing for marriage contracts to be arranged for minors.

Months of fighting between Afghanistan and Pakistan have killed nearly 500 Afghan civilians, UN says
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Fear of Arrest Keeps Afghan Refugees In Pakistan From Seeking Healthcare, MSF Warns

July 30, 2026
Khaama Press

Thousands of Afghan refugees in Pakistan are delaying or avoiding essential medical care because they fear arrest, detention and deportation under Islamabad’s ongoing campaign against undocumented migrants, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) said on Tuesday, warning that the policy is putting vulnerable families at growing risk.

In a new report, MSF said Pakistan’s Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan (IFRP) has severely affected refugees’ access to healthcare, with many Afghans avoiding hospitals and clinics for fear they could be detained while seeking treatment. The medical charity said the trend is contributing to worsening child malnutrition, untreated chronic illnesses, pregnancy-related complications and preventable diseases among displaced Afghan communities.

Many Afghan refugees are living in constant fear of arrest, losing their livelihoods and being forcibly returned to Afghanistan, MSF said, calling on Pakistan to halt forced returns and ensure that refugees and asylum seekers can safely access healthcare without fear of detention or deportation.

Pakistan has accelerated its deportation campaign since late 2023, targeting undocumented foreign nationals, the vast majority of whom are Afghans. According to the U.N. Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), more than one million Afghans have returned or been deported from Pakistan since the campaign began, placing additional pressure on Afghanistan’s already fragile humanitarian response.

MSF said many refugees now avoid seeking treatment until medical conditions become critical, increasing the risk of severe illness and preventable deaths. The organization warned that delayed access to healthcare also poses wider public health concerns by increasing the spread of infectious diseases and reducing access to routine vaccinations and maternal care.

The warning comes as Afghanistan continues to face one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. According to the United Nations, millions of Afghans require humanitarian assistance, while widespread poverty, unemployment and repeated climate-related shocks have left much of the population dependent on aid. The country’s healthcare system remains under severe strain following years of conflict, economic decline and reductions in international funding, limiting access to essential medicines, medical staff and specialized care.

Aid agencies have also warned that the growing number of returnees is placing additional pressure on already overstretched health facilities and humanitarian services, particularly in border provinces where thousands of deported Afghans arrive each week with few possessions and limited access to shelter, food or medical support.

The United Nations has repeatedly expressed concern that many of those being returned include women, children, elderly people, people with disabilities and individuals with international protection needs, who could face heightened risks after returning to Afghanistan. Humanitarian organizations have urged Pakistan and other host countries to ensure that refugee returns are safe, voluntary and dignified, in line with international law and the principle of non-refoulement, while allowing those in need of protection continued access to asylum procedures and essential public services, including healthcare.

Fear of Arrest Keeps Afghan Refugees In Pakistan From Seeking Healthcare, MSF Warns
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Germany Deports Another Group of Afghan Nationals

July 30, 2026
Mitra Majeedy
Journalist
Tolo News
29 July 2026

The deportation coincided with protests outside the airport, where hundreds of demonstrators gathered to oppose the move.

Germany has deported another group of Afghan nationals to Kabul on a special charter flight from Leipzig Airport.

The deportation coincided with protests outside the airport, where hundreds of demonstrators gathered to oppose the move.

According to German media reports, nearly 250 people, including a number of Afghan nationals, took part in the protest, calling on the German government to halt deportations to Afghanistan.

“It is very important for us that these protests take place. This process must not become normalized, and we want deportations to Afghanistan to stop,” German protester Luca Müller said.

Despite the demonstrations, the charter flight departed for Afghanistan early Tuesday.

German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said the government would continue to enforce its strict migration policy.

Speaking to MDR, Armin Schuster, interior minister of the state of Saxony, said the 30 Afghan nationals deported on the flight were “repeat offenders and dangerous criminals.”

“These are repeat offenders and dangerous criminals who have repeatedly been convicted of violent crimes, including causing serious bodily harm, and have served prison sentences. The group also includes individuals convicted of drug trafficking, physical assaults, and similar offenses. We hope, as the federal interior minister has said, that this process will be expanded and that deportation flights to Afghanistan will continue on a regular basis,” Schuster said.

Migrant rights activists, citing German media reports, said one of the deported Afghan nationals had no criminal conviction, raising questions about the criteria used for deportation.

Mohammad Khan Talebi Mohammadzai, a migrant rights activist, said: “The current Afghan authorities could invoke the principle of non-refoulement and international legal obligations to urge Germany to suspend forced deportations until conditions and administrative capacity improve in Afghanistan.”

Germany halted deportations to Afghanistan after the Islamic Emirate returned to power in 2021. However, it resumed deporting Afghan nationals convicted of serious crimes in 2025, a policy that has also been supported by the country’s current government.

Germany Deports Another Group of Afghan Nationals
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