KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The Taliban has asked Germany to protect the rights of Afghan immigrants and prevent their deportation to third countries, following German authorities’ announcement of deporting individuals convicted of serious crimes, including Afghan immigrants.
In a statement on Friday, June 7, the spokesperson for the Taliban Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abdul Qahar Balkhi, urged German authorities to handle the matter “through normal consular engagement and an appropriate mechanism based on bilateral agreements.”
He said that the ministry is “monitoring the decision,” expressing hope that the regime in Afghanistan and Germany could manage the matter through “diplomatic channels to protect the rights of citizens in a manner that Afghan nationals may not encounter an unknown fate under one or another pretext.”
The Taliban’s statement came a day after the German Chancellor announced plans to change regulations, enabling the deportation of Afghans and Syrians convicted of serious crimes in the country.
As reported by German state news agency Deutsche Welle (DW), during his address in the German parliament following a deadly knife attack on a police officer by an Afghan national, Mr. Scholz emphasized that Germany will not tolerate religious extremists or criminals who exploit the country’s laws protecting refugees.
“radical Islam… terrorism… wants to rob us of our freedom. Without those freedoms, we have no democracy,” Mr. Scholz said.
“Such criminals should be deported even if they come from Syria and Afghanistan. Serious criminals and terrorists have no place here. In such cases the security interests of Germany outweigh the perpetrator’s interests in protection,” he added.
The German Chancellor also mentioned that the German Interior Ministry is in the process of implementing legal changes and practical measures to facilitate the deportation of Afghan nationals who have committed terrorist acts or serious crimes back to their home country.
On Friday, May 31, a young man originally from Afghanistan attacked a gathering of “Pax Europa,” a far-right group opposing Islam in Europe, with a knife. Seven people, including police officers, were injured, and the police officer later succumbed to his injuries.
The attacker, identified as Sulaiman Ataee, was a 25-year-old man born in Afghanistan and a resident of Heppenheim. He had been living in Germany since the age of 15.
The deadly attack prompted some German officials to call for the deportation of refugees. Earlier, German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser announced that the government of Germany is considering deporting Afghan citizens who pose a threat to Germany’s national security.
“Individuals who are considered a potential threat to Germany’s security must be deported swiftly. That is why we are doing everything possible to find ways to deport criminals and dangerous people to both Syria and Afghanistan,” she stressed.
