The German Foreign Ministry has confirmed that two Taliban-appointed diplomats have entered Germany and will begin their consular duties after completing administrative formalities.
In a statement issued on Thursday in response to a query from Afghanistan International, the ministry said the decision aims to ensure that Afghan citizens residing in Germany have access to basic consular services. The ministry clarified that the acceptance of the diplomats does not signify formal recognition of the Taliban regime.
According to the Foreign Ministry, the number of staff in Afghanistan’s diplomatic missions in Germany is limited. To address ongoing consular needs, the German government approved the addition of two new personnel to the Afghan Embassy in Berlin and the Afghan Consulate in Bonn.
The move follows Germany’s announcement that it would resume deportations of Afghan and Syrian asylum seekers convicted of crimes, after recent attacks involving Islamist offenders. However, without official relations with the Taliban, Germany had been unable to facilitate deportations to Afghanistan until now.
Stefan Kornelius, a spokesperson for the German government, stated that the Taliban diplomats will help facilitate deportation processes, particularly for Afghan migrants with criminal records.
The German Foreign Ministry acknowledged ongoing concerns regarding Taliban control over Afghan diplomatic missions abroad. It noted that Afghanistan’s embassy and consulates in Germany remain operational and are still managed, in part, by diplomats who were accredited before the Taliban took power in August 2021.
The arrival of Taliban-appointed diplomats has sparked internal tensions. Diplomatic sources told Afghanistan International that staff at the Afghan Consulate in Bonn have decided to collectively resign in protest. The mission is expected to formally notify the German government of their decision.
Previously, Yama Yari, Afghanistan’s ambassador to Germany, resigned under pressure from the German government. The inclusion of Taliban personnel has renewed divisions within Afghan diplomatic missions in the country.
If these resignations proceed, consular services such as passport issuance for Afghan refugees in Germany may be disrupted. It remains unclear whether the German government will allow additional Taliban diplomats to fill potential staffing gaps.
The Taliban’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stated that it will only engage with Afghan diplomatic missions that adhere to its directives.
