BERLIN — Germany has deported an Afghan national who had no criminal record for the first time since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan, Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt announced Tuesday.
According to Dobrindt, the man became subject to deportation after his asylum application was fully exhausted. He had attempted to establish residency in another European country, but authorities discovered he was living there without legal status. He was subsequently transferred back to Germany and then deported to Afghanistan.
The man was one of 31 Afghan nationals flown out of Germany on Tuesday. The remaining 30 individuals on the flight had criminal convictions.
Deportations to Afghanistan have remained a deeply controversial issue since the Taliban reclaimed power in 2021, with ongoing concerns about human rights conditions and how those sent back to the country are treated upon arrival.
Germany resumed deportations to Afghanistan in 2024, and since then has returned more than 200 people to the country. Human rights organization Amnesty International has reported that at least one person was killed after being deported.
