With active assistance from Qatar, Germany recently deported 28 criminals to Kabul. The operation began early in the morning at Leipzig Airport with a chartered Qatar Airways flight. Weeks earlier, German federal states had submitted lists of Afghan repeat and violent offenders, most of whom had already served their sentences, to the Federal Ministry of the Interior. The process took time. Eventually, the Ministry informed the states who would be flown to Kabul. One state had submitted more than 20 names, but only one person boarded the plane. In total, there were 28 individuals.
The federal states were then informed from Berlin that a deportation flight might take place. Security officials from one state reported that they sought a court order to detain a convicted rapist, the person to be deported, in protective custody. Even though the judge did not know when the flight would depart or how long the person would be held, they cooperated. When the plane was finally in the air, relief spread in political circles. “We announced that we would resume deportations of criminals to Afghanistan. We prepared this carefully, without much public discussion, because such an operation only succeeds if it’s handled meticulously and discreetly. Today, we accomplished that,” said Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Two months ago, after the murder of a police officer by an Afghan in Mannheim, Scholz announced the deportations.
For the coalition government, the deportation is both a success and a risk. They relied on Qatar’s help and mediation offers but avoided negotiating directly with the Taliban. The Foreign Office strictly opposed such negotiations, a stance that did not change even under the pressure of the deportation debate in recent weeks, though the Chancellor’s Office may not have taken such a hard line. However, there was no desire to normalize or elevate the Taliban regime. As a result, no deportation flights had taken place since the Taliban took power in Afghanistan. In recent weeks, calls from within the SPD have been made to change this course. However, no EU country currently maintains an embassy in Kabul, though the EU has a delegation on the ground. On the third anniversary of the Taliban’s takeover, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock stated that the Taliban were forcing women and girls, through their “inhumane policies,” to “bury their dreams and futures.” She said there would be “no normal relations” as long as the Taliban continued to exclude half the population from work and social participation. Baerbock is supported by her party in this stance.
However, Baerbock had previously mentioned that deportations to Syria and Afghanistan might be possible in “individual cases,” though it was “obviously not simple.” Each case would need to be examined individually. She stressed that “one cannot ignore the fact that a dictator and a terrorist organization rule these countries, and therefore, one cannot make any easy promises.” No Western country has recognized the Taliban regime to date. Discussions about a liaison office and using Doha as an intermediary for technical issues, such as the provision of humanitarian aid, have been ongoing for some time. Now the negotiations were led by the Chancellor’s Office and the Ministry of the Interior. The talks were initiated by the Chancellor’s foreign policy adviser. However, it is not expected that many more flights will follow this model, according to sources in Berlin. In parallel, Germany is negotiating with Afghanistan’s neighboring countries, particularly Uzbekistan. However, for Friday’s flight, deportation to Uzbekistan was considered too bureaucratic and complicated.
The deportees received 1,000 euros in cash upon their deportation. Among the 28 individuals were some who had gained notoriety, such as one of the perpetrators from Illerkirchberg in Baden-Württemberg, who, along with others, had raped a 14-year-old girl. Paradoxically, Germany cannot ignore the fate of the deported criminals in Afghanistan, as the reason for halting deportations for so long was the danger they could face under the Taliban. Deportees must not face persecution or danger in their home country. It appears that the German government has agreed with “key powers” in the region on some form of monitoring for the safety of the 28 deportees.
The security risks facing deportees in Afghanistan depend on their personal backgrounds and the nature of their crimes. However, since this operation is important for the Taliban’s pursuit of international recognition, it is likely they have little interest in imprisoning or otherwise persecuting the returnees. Those most at risk are likely individuals who were imprisoned in Germany for Islamist violence and are linked to the terrorist group “Islamic State” (IS), as the Taliban view IS as their biggest threat to power.
The Foreign Office’s June 2023 situation report also highlights the risk of revenge attacks, especially if the deportee had killed another Afghan in Germany. It is likely that German authorities have excluded such individuals from deportation for the time being. The report notes that “re-conviction by the Taliban-controlled justice system cannot be ruled out.” However, the verdicts of German courts hold no weight with Sharia judges. The Taliban are likely to keep a close watch on the 28 deportees, in part to ensure they are not recruited by IS.
One of the potential dangers deportees face is destitution, given the precarious humanitarian situation in Afghanistan, especially if they have no family in the country. The 1,000 euros they received before departure should help them bridge the initial period.
While there were reportedly no direct agreements between the German government and the Taliban, the Afghan rulers are likely to use the acceptance of these criminals to demonstrate that Western countries rely on their cooperation. Although no country has officially recognized the regime in Kabul, the international consensus to isolate the Islamists is beginning to crack. Two weeks ago, Uzbekistan’s Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov visited Kabul. Shortly before that, the United Arab Emirates became the second country in the world to accept the appointment of a Taliban ambassador in Abu Dhabi. China took this step in January.
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