KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Germany has agreed to accept six additional Taliban diplomats as part of efforts to significantly expand the deportation of Afghan nationals convicted of crimes back to Afghanistan, German media reported.
The agreement was reached during a “multi-day confidential meeting” between German officials and Taliban representatives in a hotel in Istanbul, Turkey, last week, according to the public broadcaster NDR.
The German Federal Ministry of the Interior confirmed that a “technical level” meeting took place between representatives of the ministry and the Afghan de facto authorities, the report said.
Germany plans to increase charter deportation flights to Afghanistan to as many as three per month, with deportations on commercial flights also remaining possible, it added.
The Taliban had conditioned their cooperation on deportation flights on Berlin’s acceptance of more of their diplomats. A flight originally planned for the end of May was postponed after the German government initially resisted the demand, the report said. The flight eventually departed last Monday, carrying 32 Afghan criminals from Leipzig to Kabul aboard a Turkish airline plane.
Direct deportations to Afghanistan were suspended after the Taliban returned to power in 2021, when Germany closed its embassy in Kabul. Limited returns of convicted Afghans resumed in 2024 under the previous government led by Olaf Scholz, with 28 individuals sent via third countries.
The current government, which took office in May 2025, has prioritised the swift deportation of Afghan nationals convicted of crimes and has held talks with the Taliban in Qatar and Kabul to facilitate regular direct flights.
In mid-2025, German authorities deported 81 convicted Afghan men in a coordinated operation via Qatar, marking the first such returns under the new administration. In February, Germany also deported 20 Afghan nationals on a direct flight to Kabul following an agreement with the Taliban.
Despite the renewed cooperation on deportations, Berlin does not formally recognize the Taliban regime and maintains no diplomatic relations with Kabul.
The development comes as the European Commission is reportedly preparing to host a Taliban delegation to help facilitate the return of Afghans who have been denied asylum or convicted of crimes across the European Union. EU officials have confirmed that an invitation has been extended, though details on timing and format have not been released.
The EU’s reported plan has drawn criticism from human rights groups, United Nations experts, activists, and members of the Afghan diaspora, who say engagement with the Taliban risks legitimizing a regime widely accused of systematic human rights violations since taking power nearly five years ago. They also argue that Afghanistan remains unsafe for forced returns, pointing to the ongoing reports of arbitrary arrests and enforced disappearances across the country.
Neither the German government nor the Taliban has publicly confirmed the reported agreement. If implemented, the addition of six diplomats would significantly expand the Taliban’s diplomatic presence in Europe.
