The U.S. administration plans to expel Afghans through Uzbekistan.
What's the deal with individuals facing deportation from Afghanistan? The EU is pushing for dialogue with the radical Islamic Taliban, yet Germany objects due to fears of supporting a terrorist group. A detour through Uzbekistan appears to be the best option, but Tashkent has its own conditions.
It seems the German Interior Ministry has come up with a method to transport individuals subject to deportation from Afghanistan without engaging with the radical Islamic Taliban. As per "Spiegel," the German government plans to deport these Afghan individuals via Uzbekistan. The Ministry, led by Nancy Faeser, is reportedly engaging in talks with Uzbek officials regarding this matter.
A team from the Interior Ministry allegedly visited the Uzbek capital, Tashkent, towards the end of May to discuss potential cooperation in the deportation of Afghans. The plan is that those to be deported would initially go to Tashkent and later be shipped to Kabul via a private airline.
According to "Spiegel," the Uzbek leadership is willing to cooperate, but insists on the creation of a migration agreement, enabling Uzbek citizens to more easily work in Germany. The German government's special representative for migration agreements, Joachim Stamp, will reportedly travel to Uzbekistan in the coming week.
Following the knife attack by an Afghan on an Islam critic in Mannheim, which resulted in the death of a police officer about two weeks ago, the German government has adopted a firmer stance on deportations. Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz voiced support for deporting criminals to Afghanistan and Syria post-incident. Notably, the German government, like many others, does not hold official relations with the authoritarian Taliban regime in Afghanistan.
The CDU wants to "fund a terrorist group"
Unlike the German government, the CDU is advocating for direct talks with the Taliban. As stated by Hessian Minister President Boris Rhein in an interview with The Pioneer, "Of course, we must talk to those with power on the ground to make them bring their people back." Additionally, Rhein demanded, "We must also hand over money to make our desired outcomes a reality," a statement that was deemed "perfectly acceptable." previously, NRW Minister President Hendrik Wüst had also voiced support for talks with the Taliban.
Green Party chairman Omid Nouripour cautions against such talks. "You can't negotiate with the Taliban," Nouripour told "Spiegel." "Recognizing them as a government would be a massive achievement for an Islamic terrorist organization." Moreover, it's assumed that the Taliban would demand financial compensation in exchange for accepting deported Afghan criminal suspects. In this manner, Germany would supposedly "fund a terrorist organization."
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In response to the German government's plan to deport individuals faced with deportation from Afghanistan through Uzbekistan, the CDU has suggested direct talks with the Taliban in Afghanistan. However, this proposal has sparked controversy, with Green Party chairman Omid Nouripour stating that engaging with the Taliban would effectively "fund a terrorist organization." Meanwhile, Nancy Faeser, the German Interior Ministry's leader, is reportedly in discussions with Uzbek officials about the deportation process, with Uzbekistan insisting on a migration agreement as a condition for cooperation.
