The de facto Taliban authorities have sent extra staff to diplomatic missions in Germany under an agreement with Berlin to facilitate deportations to Afghanistan.
A total of 228 Afghan men, the majority of whom were convicted of criminal offenses, have been deported from Germany since March 2025, according to figures released by the German Interior Ministry. The most recent deportation occurred on Tuesday, when a special charter flight carrying 23 individuals departed from Leipzig bound for Kabul.
The German Foreign Ministry explained on Saturday that achieving the coalition government's target for repatriations requires issuing identity documents recognized by the de facto Taliban administration in Kabul. To increase the volume of returns, technical conditions must be fulfilled alongside maintaining adequate staffing levels at diplomatic offices.
German officials confirmed that a specialized technical support team was granted short-term entry into the country to ensure these technical requirements are satisfied. As part of the arrangement, the German government approved the temporary placement of Taliban envoys within Afghan diplomatic missions across Germany.
Diplomatic Shift and Cancelled June Operations
Until recently, Afghan diplomatic posts in Germany were staffed exclusively by diplomats appointed by the former Western-backed Afghan government. That administration was overthrown when Taliban forces captured Kabul in August 2021.
The new arrangement follows a breakdown in cooperation earlier in the summer. A planned mass deportation of Afghan nationals was cancelled in early June after the Taliban refused to assist German authorities. At the time, the de facto Taliban government expressed dissatisfaction, claiming the German Foreign Ministry lacked the willingness to engage in direct dialogue.
Political Criticism and Human Rights Concerns
The diplomatic concessions have triggered sharp political backlash in Berlin. Critics of the government, particularly politicians from the Green Party, have repeatedly condemned the administration of Chancellor Friedrich Merz for making concessions to secure deportation assistance.
Berlin officially maintains a policy of non-recognition toward the Taliban regime in Kabul. German officials have justified this stance by pointing to widespread human rights violations committed by the Taliban, specifically severe restrictions and abuses targeted at women and girls across Afghanistan.
