Germany Expands Deportation of Afghanistani Migrants

DID Press: Friedrich Merz, Germany’s Chancellor, announced the country intends to return a larger number of Afghanistani migrants to Afghanistan. He referred to the deportation of 81 Afghanistani nationals in late July, noting that his government’s policy marks a shift away from the previous administration’s “open-door” approach.

On Saturday, August 30, Merz stressed that his government remains committed to a “migration policy turnaround” and hailed the reduction of asylum seekers to the lowest level in a decade as a major success for Berlin.

According to Merz, since the new government took office in May, border controls have been tightened and over 10,000 undocumented migrants have been deported from Germany. He also announced new restrictions on family reunification for asylum seekers and confirmed close cooperation will continue with European partners.

Earlier in July, Germany deported 81 Afghanistan citizens accused of committing crimes—a move that sparked debate across Europe over increasing deportations to Afghanistan.

The Taliban’s caretaker government used this process to enhance its engagement with Western states, with two Taliban diplomats being accepted at Afghanistan’s embassy in Berlin and the consulate in Bonn.

Meanwhile, Richard Bennett, UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Afghanistan, has warned against the continued deportation of Afghanistani migrants, demanding an immediate halt to the practice.