Dozens of Afghan Refugee Citizens Deported from Germany to Their Country
A midnight flight on Wednesday (July 4) deported 69 Afghan refugee citizens whose asylum applications had been rejected in Germany back to their country. Among the men transferred, five were also criminals.
A plane carrying 69 Afghan refugees whose asylum applications had been rejected in Germany departed Munich for Afghanistan at midnight on Wednesday (July 4). According to refugee rights organizations, the plane landed in Kabul on Wednesday morning.
Joachim Herrmann, the Interior Minister of Bavaria, announced that 51 of these refugees were from the state of Bavaria. The Interior Minister of Bavaria stated on this matter: “Anyone who must leave the country and does not comply voluntarily must be prepared to be transferred to their country at any time.”
The Interior Minister of Bavaria further emphasized that anyone attempting to prevent this state government action commits an illegal act.
Largest Number of Afghan Refugees Deported from Germany
German news agencies reported that the transfer of 69 Afghan citizens to their country was the largest deportation of refugees from that country to date. Reliable information about the identities of the other passengers on the mentioned flight is still not available.
Nine German states participated in the recent deportation of refugees to their country. Joachim Herrmann, the Interior Minister of Bavaria, pointed out that based on recent German government reports on Afghanistan’s conditions, the transfer of Afghan refugees whose asylum applications had been rejected in Germany “can be carried out indefinitely.”
Bavarian state authorities also announced that among the 69 male Afghan citizens transferred to their country, five were criminals, and 134 police officers participated in the operation to deport these refugees. Since 2016, Germany has deported approximately 300 Afghan refugees to their country.
German Foreign Ministry Report on Afghanistan’s Situation
The German Foreign Ministry’s report on Afghanistan’s situation was a confidential report. Some German media outlets that had access to parts of this report wrote that it also addresses serious problems in the country.
It is reported that the report stated that in Afghanistan, alongside war-torn areas, there are also regions with greater stability, and the number of civilian casualties in various attacks and conflicts in the country has decreased.
Response from Refugee Rights Organizations
German human rights organizations such as “Pro Asyl” and the Bavarian Refugee Council criticized the deportation of refugees to Afghanistan. They announced that even refugees who have been fully integrated into German society are now being deported to their country.
The human rights organization “Pro Asyl,” which has repeatedly expressed its opposition to deporting Afghan refugees to their country, rejects the view that Afghanistan’s situation has improved, and maintains that conditions in this war-torn country are in no way safe.
Opponents of deporting Afghan refugees point to Taliban threats in Afghanistan and the fact that Taliban militants have rejected the Afghan government’s peace appeals and continue their attacks on security forces and local governments.
Afghan military authorities believe that more than 14 percent of the country remains under Taliban control and they are striving to gain control of approximately 30 percent more of Afghan territory. This is while the terrorist group “Islamic State” (ISIS) also continuously carries out widespread attacks against government forces.
Source: DW
