Nations advocate for increased expulsions to Kabul.
State government union representatives are pushing for the recent deportation of an individual to Afghanistan since 2021 not to be a solitary event. They advocate for extensive deportations to both Afghanistan and Syria, not just for criminals, but also in the long term. However, they face opposition from the Greens.
Various federal states have commended the first deportation aircraft to Afghanistan post the Taliban seizure of power three years ago. State government representatives from Bavaria, Hesse, and Baden-Württemberg have urged the federal government to enforce further deportations to Afghanistan and Syria.
The federal government announced on Tuesday morning that a total of 28 offenders had been deported. This marked the initial deportation tenure to Afghanistan since August 2021, when the radical Islamic Taliban seized power.
"Criminals and foreigners who commit grave offenses within our country must depart," stated Hesse's Minister-President Boris Rhein. "I anticipate the federal government to facilitate additional deportations of culprits and dangerous individuals to Afghanistan and Syria," expressed the CDU politician. His party companion, Hesse's Interior Minister Roman Poseck, expressed that in the long term, "returns of Syrian expellees should also be granted, regardless of whether they have committed crimes or not."
"It's high time""It's high time that the federal government takes action," declared Bavaria's Interior Minister Joachim Hermann. "Due to concerns, especially from the Greens, deportations to Afghanistan have been delayed for a considerable period," the CSU politician criticized. "I hope that this is not merely a solitary gesture by the federal government. Rapid returns to both Afghanistan and Syria are now imperative." According to Hermann, there are still at least 174 Afghan and 203 Syrian offenders in Bavaria who "must be expelled from the nation as soon as possible."
The migration state secretary of Baden-Württemberg, Siegfried Lorek of the CDU, also pressed for the federal government to enable further deportations to Afghanistan and Syria. Thuringia's Interior Minister Georg Maier of the SPD also demanded: "We must significantly intensify deportations." This reflects "the strength of a legal rule-based state."
However, the co-head of the Greens, Omid Nouripour, tempered expectations of further measures. "Mass deportations are not feasible," Nouripour clarified. "For that, there would have to be direct state cooperation, which is not viable with the medieval Islamists ruling Afghanistan," he pointed out. "They are not recognized by any democracy worldwide, for good reason." The deportation flight originating in Leipzig should not "pave the way for the legitimization of the Taliban."
Nouripour emphasized that "the actions of the security authorities must be based on the law and must withstand judicial scrutiny." "It has consistently been acknowledged that there are technical possibilities to transport a few individuals to Afghanistan in exceptional situations. The flight now conducted by the Qatari Emirate is one such instance."
However, Nouripour also underscored: "We have consistently argued that we do not wish to harbor serious offenders in our nation and that they are not afforded protection." At the same time, however, "innocent individuals, particularly families and children who have fled from radical Islamists, enjoy protection in our nation at the level of a fundamental right."
Amnesty International, a human rights group, severely castigated the deportation to Afghanistan. "Human rights belong to us all, and no one should be deported to a country where torture is a risk," said Julia Duchrow, Secretary General of Amnesty International in Germany. "It is alarming that the German government is disregarding these commitments and has deported individuals to Afghanistan." Pro Asyl, yet another human rights organization, also cautioned against deportation as it could bolster the Taliban regime's normalization.
Given the opposition from the Greens, the state government representatives' push for extensive deportations to Afghanistan and Syria, including non-criminals, might face further challenges. The recent deportation of an individual to Afghanistan since 2021, as well as the advocacy for more, could potentially trigger debates about human rights and the risk of torture in deportation destinations.
