Overview
- The Bundespolizei issued an operational notice on July 8 that lifted prior field restrictions so that deportation identification and preparation to Afghanistan can be carried out for enforceably out‑of‑country Afghan nationals beyond convicted offenders.
- Several Länder including Hessen, Brandenburg, Thüringen, Sachsen and Bavaria have signalled they will use the expanded authority and are applying selection rules that focus mainly on adult, single men while allowing case‑by‑case exceptions such as employed persons.
- Authorities prepare returns by presenting detainees to Afghan representatives to verify identity and obtain travel papers, a practice critics say creates operational ties with the Taliban and risks exposing people to arrest or worse on return.
- Human‑rights groups, opposition politicians and legal advocates have criticised the move as dangerous and are preparing challenges while media reports show non‑convicted Afghans already in deportation detention and some deportations imminent.
- Practical limits remain: past regional data show many removal attempts fail, states differ in capacity and criteria, and the policy shift is likely to produce more court cases, NGO campaigns and uneven enforcement across Germany.