Germany’s Interior Minister, Alexander Dobrindt, has signalled a willingness to reach an agreement with the Taliban to enable the deportation of Afghan nationals convicted of crimes in Germany.
In an interview with Welt TV, Dobrindt said he is open to establishing the necessary arrangements with the Taliban authorities to facilitate the return of Afghan offenders. “Deporting dangerous criminals and returning them to Afghanistan is in Germany’s national interest,” he said.
The remarks come despite Germany’s official stance of not recognising the Taliban as the legitimate government of Afghanistan. However, Dobrindt argued that lack of formal recognition should not prevent cooperation on specific practical matters.
He added that even if the Taliban were to send a representative to Berlin, limited agreements on operational issues could still be reached without granting formal diplomatic recognition.
Dobrindt’s comments follow a deportation flight in August last year, the first since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in 2021, in which 28 convicted Afghan nationals with no legal residency status were flown from Germany to Kabul.
Reports at the time indicated that Qatar acted as a mediator between Berlin and the Taliban administration to facilitate the process.
