DW: Thousands of Afghans approved for resettlement in Germany remain stranded in Pakistan, leaving them in limbo. Some report being harassed by Pakistani authorities. Click here to read more (external link). Related Blows on the Door, Tremors in the Bones: Two Refugee Sisters’ Account of a Pakistani Police Raid
Khaama: Three Afghan asylum seekers slated for deportation from Germany vanished just hours before their scheduled flight, Saxony’s Interior Minister Armin Schuster confirmed. Speaking to MDR on Thursday, July 24, Schuster stated, “The three Afghan asylum seekers disappeared before deportation. They cannot be found—I assume they are hiding.” Click here to read more (external link).
Khaama: Nicole Deitelhoff, a peace and conflict researcher from the University of Frankfurt, criticized Germany’s Afghanistan policy, saying deportations undermine legal and humanitarian credibility. Germany’s latest deportation flight to Afghanistan has sparked widespread criticism, particularly from peace and conflict researchers and human rights advocates. On July 18, a plane carrying 81 Afghan men with failed
Afghanistan International: Rangin Dadfar Spanta, former Afghan national security advisor, has sharply criticised Germany’s decision to accept Taliban diplomats, warning that the move amounts to de facto recognition of the group and reduces Berlin’s Afghan policy to the level of Russia’s. Berlin recently approved the presence of two Taliban-appointed consular officers in Berlin and Bonn.
Khaama: Richard Bennett, UN Special Rapporteur for Afghanistan, condemned Germany’s deportation of 81 Afghan citizens, warning of more deportations and urging a halt to the process. Human rights organizations have repeatedly raised alarms about the forced return of Afghan refugees, citing the hazardous conditions under Taliban rule. Click here to read more (external link).
Amu: UN human rights experts, including special rapporteur Richard Bennett, on Friday condemned the mass forced returns of Afghan nationals from Iran and Pakistan, calling the scale of deportations “staggering” and warning that Afghanistan remains unsafe for returnees, nearly four years after the Taliban seized power. “Returns must be halted immediately,” the experts said. “Afghanistan
Khaama: German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt has announced a plan to deport Afghan migrants who have committed crimes in Germany. In a recent interview with Welt TV on Friday, July 11, Dobrindt stated that he is open to direct negotiations with the Taliban-led government in Afghanistan to facilitate these deportations. Click here to read more
DW: Germany stopped deportations to Afghanistan in 2021 when the Taliban retook control of the country. However, amid a rise of the far-right and anti-immigrant rhetoric, the government led by the conservative bloc of Chancellor Friedrich Merz has put deportations high on the agenda. Click here to read more (external link).
FT: Alexander Dobrindt said it was no longer sustainable to rely on indirect channels of communication with the Islamist group and argued direct talks were necessary to return Afghan migrants to their home country, as the German government continues its crackdown on immigration. Click here to read more (external link).
Amu: Germany will halt its voluntary admission programs for Afghan refugees and implement strict new migration policies, Friedrich Merz, the country’s likely next chancellor, announced on Saturday. “We will reject asylum requests at the borders in coordination with our European neighbors,” Merz said. “We intend to take all constitutional measures necessary to reduce uncontrolled migration.”