Germany’s Deutsche Welle has reported that Nazira Khairzad, an Afghan female footballer who fled Afghanistan following the Taliban’s return to power, now faces the risk of deportation to Italy.
Her lawyer is actively working to prevent her separation from her family, who are currently residing with her in Germany.
Khairzad, formerly the goalkeeper for Afghanistan’s national women’s football team, fled the country with her sister in 2021 after the Taliban banned women’s sports. She initially lived alone in Italy for around three years before reuniting with her family in Frankfurt in early 2024.
“When I received the letter telling me I might be sent back to Italy, I was overcome by a deep sense of hopelessness, fear and uncertainty,” she told DW. “I was very sad and shocked. Since then, my mum has lived in constant fear and stress.”
Her family fled Afghanistan separately, and since reuniting in Germany, Khairzad has been rebuilding her life—learning German and returning to football.
Her lawyer, Elke Gabsa, noted that under EU law, “if someone is recognised as a refugee in one country, it is fundamentally impossible to request protection in another EU member state.” However, she argued that forcing Khairzad to leave her dependent family would constitute “a violation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.”
Now 21, Khairzad remains hopeful that the court will rule in her favour and allow her to stay in Germany permanently with her family.
Since the Taliban’s return to power, nearly all Afghan female athletes have been forced into exile, as women’s sports are entirely banned under the regime.
