Germany allows Taliban team to aid Afghan deportations

Germany has authorised Taliban government representatives to enter the country for a short stay to help coordinate more deportations of Afghan nationals, the German government said Monday.

A foreign ministry spokesman in Berlin described the group as a “technical support team” and said the aim was to increase deportations to Afghanistan. He said Afghan representations should be able to provide consular services for about 450,000 Afghan nationals in Germany and help with return operations.

The spokesman said the representatives had undergone security checks, were not accredited diplomats in Germany and would leave after a short stay.

Germany has tightened migration policy under conservative Chancellor Friedrich Merz. His government has said deportations to Afghanistan would focus on criminals, but 23 Afghan men were deported last week, including some who had not been convicted of any crime.

Human rights organisations strongly criticise deportations to Afghanistan, where the Taliban are accused of severe human rights abuses.