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8h ago

Germany Deports 81 Convicted Afghans on First Merz Government Flight

The operation imposed entry and residence bans on the returnees, alongside cash grants of up to €1,000 to prevent destitution.

European Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner, Danish Minister of Immigration and Integration Kaare Dybvad Bek, French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt, Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister of the Interior Daniela Ludwig, Polish Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak, Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner, and Czech Interior Minister Vit Rakusan meet to discuss migration policies, during Zugspitze Summit, near Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, July 18, 2025. REUTERS/Angelika Warmuth
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Like many countries, Germany had stopped deportations to Afghanistan and closed its embassy in Kabul after the Taliban's return to power in 2021
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Overview

  • A Qatar Airways jet departed Leipzig airport on July 18 carrying 81 Afghan men convicted of crimes and ordered to leave Germany.
  • The flight marks the first mass deportation organized by Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s coalition and the second repatriation to Afghanistan since the 2021 Taliban takeover.
  • Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said entry and residence bans were imposed on the deportees in line with the coalition agreement and signaled plans for further removals.
  • Returnees received up to €1,000 in cash from federal states to cover initial expenses, fulfilling court rules against exposing returnees to immediate destitution.
  • Germany coordinated the removal through indirect negotiations with the Taliban via Qatar despite not formally recognizing the Taliban government.