KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Germany has deported 13 Afghan nationals who had been convicted of criminal offences, sending them to Kabul on a charter flight, German media reported on Tuesday.
The 13 men were flown to Kabul on Tuesday, September 15, according to Germany’s n-tv, citing the country’s Federal Ministry of the Interior. The ministry said all of the deportees were Afghan men who had come to the attention of German criminal authorities and had been convicted of offences including sexual crimes, physical assault and drug trafficking.
Germany has carried out several deportation flights to Afghanistan in recent months. On September 1, German authorities deported 22 Afghan nationals with criminal records to Kabul on a charter flight from Germany. According to the German Interior Ministry, the deportees had been convicted of offences including murder, attempted murder, robbery, theft, extortion, grievous bodily harm and arson.
Earlier, on August 25, German media reported that around 30 Afghans had been deported to Kabul, including some who reportedly had no criminal records. The latest deportation brings the number of Afghan nationals returned from Germany to Afghanistan since the current coalition government took office to 263. German authorities have said that almost all those deported during this period were convicted criminals.
The deportations have coincided with increased practical engagement between European governments and Taliban authorities over returns.
On August 29, German media reported that a three-member Taliban delegation had travelled to Germany on 30-day visas issued by the German diplomatic mission in Qatar to facilitate deportations and consular matters. The delegation was reportedly staying at the Afghan Embassy in Berlin and was expected to visit Afghan consulates in Bonn and Munich.
The developments followed an EU meeting with a Taliban delegation in Brussels on June 23, where practical issues, including cooperation on deportation procedures, were discussed. Germany and other European governments have faced criticism from refugee and human-rights organisations over returns to Afghanistan, which they argue can expose deportees to serious risks.
Germany resumed deportation flights to Afghanistan in 2024, with the first flight carrying 28 convicted Afghan nationals in August that year. The latest removals are part of Berlin’s efforts to increase deportations of Afghan nationals required to leave the country.
The deportations have required practical cooperation with Taliban authorities, despite Germany continuing not to formally recognise the Taliban government as Afghanistan’s legitimate government. German authorities have said that Taliban personnel sent to Germany have helped with consular and documentation procedures needed to facilitate deportations.
The policy has also drawn criticism from refugee and human-rights organisations. Pro Asyl has opposed deportations to Afghanistan, citing the country’s human-rights and humanitarian situation. The organisation said in July 2026 that Germany had continued deportation flights while the United Nations had warned against forced returns to Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, the number of Afghan nationals in Germany who are legally required to leave the country remains considerably higher than the number deported. According to Pro Asyl, based on figures from a German parliamentary inquiry, about 13,000 Afghans were required to leave Germany at the end of 2025, including around 10,000 who held a Duldung, a temporary suspension of deportation.
A Duldung does not constitute a residence permit. It means that a person’s deportation is temporarily suspended, often because removal cannot currently be carried out for legal, practical or humanitarian reasons. Pro Asyl reported that around 10,000 of the roughly 13,000 Afghans required to leave Germany were in this status.
The German government’s policy toward Afghan nationals has also changed significantly since the Taliban takeover in August 2021. While Germany has continued to provide protection to some Afghans and previously operated humanitarian admission programmes, the current government has moved toward reducing admissions and increasing removals of people who are legally required to leave.
