- The nation expelled five lawbreakers of Afghan origin.
Law enforcement in Baden-Württemberg sent off five hardcore offenders of Afghan descent on a flight heading to Kabul early on a Friday morning, with an additional 23 Afghans also present. Four of these individuals had spent time in state prisons, while the remaining one was picked up directly from a refugee shelter and subsequently deported, as reported by the Migration Ministry. Each of these individuals was labeled as "dangerous offenders."
A 31-year-old former member of a quartet, who had sexually assaulted a 14-year-old girl for hours in a drunken stupor at an Illerkirchberg refugee shelter on Halloween 2019, was among those deported. He had served his time in prison and was apprehended by the authorities for deportation.
The remaining four were sent off from prison. A 25-year-old resident of Ravensburg was detained for attempting to kill someone, and he spent time in local prison. A 34-year-old from Bad Schussenried (Biberach district) was in Rottenburg prison for attempted manslaughter. A seasoned lawbreaker had amassed more than 160 crimes under his belt. This individual spent time in Ludwigsburg prison. The 45-year-old from Stuttgart shared the same detention center as his fellow deportee for attempting to kill someone.
CDU State Secretary Siegfried Lorek labeled the deportations as a positive contribution to the safety of the country. His office did not provide information on whether or when more deportees from the southwest region would be sent back to Afghanistan. Lorek reiterated his call for the federal government to facilitate additional deportations to both Afghanistan and Syria.
The five condemned individuals are now prohibited from entering Germany or any EU country. As per Stuttgart's Migration Ministry, a travel ban has been imposed on them.
Sources claim that the deportation flight required a substantial amount of planning due to Germany's lack of diplomatic relations with the Taliban-led authorities in Kabul. Following a deadly knife attack in Mannheim in late May, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) announced that deportations of serious criminals and potential threats to Afghanistan and Syria would proceed.
Despite the recent suspected Islamist-inspired deadly stabbing in Solingen, authorities insisted that the deportation flight was planned well in advance, according to official sources. Media reports suggest that the preparations for the flight took two months.
Detractors have raised concerns over the human rights situation in Afghanistan.
Since August 2021, the Taliban has once again assumed control of Afghanistan, sparking international condemnation due to their intense suppression of women's rights. There has been a substantial decrease in conflicts in the nation since their return, though occasional attacks still occur, many claimed by the Islamic State terrorist group.
Critics have denounced the Taliban's brutal repression of human rights activists, demonstrators, and journalists, who are reportedly subjected to detention, disappearance, or torture by human rights organizations. The Refugee Council of Baden-Württemberg voiced widespread disapproval and argued that the deportations breached international law.
The Commission has been urged by CDU State Secretary Siegfried Lorek to facilitate more deportations to Afghanistan and Syria, as he sees the recent deportations as a positive contribution to the country's safety. The Commission has also imposed a travel ban on the five individuals who were deported, preventing them from entering Germany or any EU country.
