KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Taliban security forces have raided a guesthouse in Kabul where Afghan nationals holding admission promises from Germany were staying after being deported from Pakistan, German media have reported.
According to Germany’s public broadcaster ARD, the raid took place on Sunday night (January 18), when Taliban forces entered the guesthouse and confined residents to their rooms while subjecting them to hours of interrogation.
The report said that Taliban officials confiscated the residents’ smartphones and recorded the interrogations on video. Those questioned were reportedly asked why they had sought to migrate to Germany.
The guesthouse, whose expenses are reportedly covered by the German government, has been accommodating former local staff and other Afghans who had received admission commitments under Germany’s Federal Admission Program. Many of them had fled Afghanistan following the Taliban’s return to power in 2021 and later sought refuge in Pakistan.
Despite receiving admission assurances, the individuals remained standard in Pakistan for years and were eventually deported to Afghanistan amid Pakistan’s intensified campaign against Afghan refugees earlier this year.
German media have previously reported that Pakistan deported more than 200 Afghans holding German admission promises, including former local employees who had worked with Western institutions.
Neither the Taliban’s Interior Ministry spokesperson nor Kabul police officials have responded to requests for comment regarding the raid, ARD reported.
The incident raises renewed concerns over the safety of Afghans associated with Western countries, particularly former local staff, as well as questions about Germany’s ability to implement its humanitarian admission commitments amid regional deportations and Taliban security operations.
