German authorities have announced that they will temporarily be suspending deportations to Afghanistan until further notice, according to a press release published by the German Ministry of Interior, Building, and Community.
The news comes after the Federal Ministry decided to cancel a flight to Afghanistan on short notice that was intended to return six male prisoners to the country.
The flight was canceled due to several explosions at the Kabul airport, which would have made predicting safety conditions impossible.
Until conditions in Afghanistan improve, all planned returns in the immediate future have been cancelled due to the lack of security in assuring the safety of returnees, crews, or their escorts.
“In a democratic country, deportation is an important part of migration policy. Anyone who has no right of residence must leave Germany. But a democratic country is also responsible for making sure that deportations do not endanger those involved. The security situation in Afghanistan is changing so quickly right now that we cannot ensure the safety of returnees, their escorts or flight crews. As soon as the situation allows, we will continue deporting Afghan criminals and other Afghans who pose a security threat,” said Federal Minister Seehofer.
The conditions in Afghanistan have worsened over the last several weeks as a result of the United States’ sudden withdrawal from the country, leaving it open to be controlled by a loosely organized terrorist group called the Taliban.
Although Germany is halting operations to return Afghans to their home country, German authorities are scrambling to return their own citizens and foreign workers from Afghanistan.
Many other Member States have found themselves in similar situations.
With Kabul International Airport being cordoned off by Taliban fighters, thousands of EU and US citizens have found themselves stranded with no way out of the country, even as EU, French, and British troops have arrived to try and aid the escape of their citizens via the airport.
To read the German Ministry of Interior’s press release, click this link. To read more about the calls from European authorities to the US and Taliban, click this link.
