Interior ministry says people without legal right to stay can be removed as Berlin tightens migration policy amid rights groups’ criticism.
Germany has defended its decision to deport an Afghan man with no criminal record to Afghanistan, marking the first such case since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, officials said this week.
A charter flight carrying 31 Afghan men left Leipzig/Halle Airport early on Tuesday and headed to Kabul. Thirty of the deportees had been convicted of serious crimes in Germany, including offences involving violence, sexual assault and homicide, according to Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt. One man on the flight had no criminal conviction.
Dobrindt said the non-criminal deportee had exhausted all legal avenues to remain in Germany after his asylum claim was rejected. He had later attempted to stay in another European country, where he was found to be living without legal status, and was returned to Germany before being placed on the deportation flight.
“People who have no right to stay in the country can also be subject to deportation if there are no signs they have integrated in Germany,” Dobrindt said. A spokeswoman for the interior ministry later confirmed that while the priority remains those convicted of crimes or considered a threat, it is also possible to include individuals who are not criminals on such flights.
New Government Introduces Policy Changes:
The operation forms part of a broader tightening of migration rules under Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s government, which took office in 2025. Germany suspended most deportations to Afghanistan after the Taliban seized control in August 2021, citing security and human rights concerns. Returns resumed in 2024, initially focused on convicted offenders, under practical arrangements with Taliban authorities that allow identity checks and the issuance of travel documents.
Since the resumption, more than 200 Afghans have been returned, according to official figures and rights organisations. Direct charter flights to Kabul have become more regular, replacing earlier operations routed through third countries. Germany does not formally recognise the Taliban government but maintains limited technical contacts to facilitate removals.
Protests took place at Leipzig Airport as the latest flight prepared to depart. Refugee rights groups condemned the inclusion of a non-criminal deportee. Pro Asyl described the move as “moral bankruptcy,” arguing that it normalises cooperation with an internationally isolated regime and places returnees at risk. Amnesty International has previously reported that at least one person deported from Germany was later killed in Afghanistan.
Human Rights Concerns Persist in Afghanistan:
Human rights organisations and some European partners continue to warn that conditions under Taliban rule remain precarious. Reports document severe restrictions on women and girls, limited freedom of expression, arbitrary detentions and the targeting of former government employees, journalists and civil society activists. Critics argue that even those without criminal records may face interrogation, detention or other risks upon arrival.
German officials counter that Afghanistan has an obligation under international law to accept its own nationals and that individuals who have no legal basis to remain in Germany, and who have not integrated, should not stay indefinitely. The government has emphasised that women and girls from Afghanistan are generally granted protection and are not subject to the same removal practices.
The case is being watched closely as a potential precedent. Rights groups fear it could open the door to larger-scale returns of rejected asylum seekers, while the government presents it as consistent enforcement of existing rules. Further flights are expected as Berlin continues to prioritise the removal of those it says have no right to remain.