Afghanistan Times
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KABUL – In a landmark—and highly controversial—move, Germany has become the first country in the European Union to allow Taliban-approved Afghan officials to operate from its territory. The decision, confirmed by a government spokesperson on Monday, will see two Afghan consular staff deployed to German soil to assist with the coordination of deportations of Afghan nationals, including rejected asylum seekers and convicted criminals.
The shift comes amid growing political pressure in Germany to crack down on illegal migration, following a wave of violent incidents involving failed asylum seekers earlier this year. Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt has pushed for direct talks with the Taliban to facilitate regular deportation flights—an initiative that has now resulted in formal, if limited, cooperation with a regime that remains unrecognized by the majority of the international community.
According to the German government, the arrangement does not constitute official recognition of the Taliban, which took power in Afghanistan following the collapse of the Western-backed government in 2021. Instead, Berlin insists the cooperation is strictly “technical” in nature and aimed at resolving logistical challenges involved in the deportation process.
The two Afghan officials, reportedly vetted and found to have no ties to extremist activity, previously worked under the former Afghan government. They are expected to take up posts at the Afghan embassy in Berlin and the consulate in Bonn, though they will not hold formal diplomatic rank. Their primary role will be to issue travel documents and verify identities for those slated for deportation.
The decision follows the resumption of deportation flights to Afghanistan, with the second such flight since 2021 arriving in Kabul last Friday. The new arrangement was reportedly brokered with mediation from Qatar, one of the few countries maintaining open lines of communication with the Taliban.
Germany’s move places it ahead of other EU states that have thus far avoided any form of engagement with Taliban-appointed officials. It also comes just weeks after Russia became the first major power to formally recognize the Taliban as Afghanistan’s legitimate government. Norway, while not an EU member, has accepted an acting Taliban envoy in a limited capacity.
Critics of the German decision argue that involving Taliban-linked representatives—even in a non-diplomatic role—risks legitimizing a regime accused of severe human rights abuses, particularly against women and minorities. Human rights organizations have warned that deportees could face persecution upon return, and that cooperation with the Taliban could undermine international pressure on the group to reform.
Nevertheless, Berlin appears resolute in its efforts to lead a broader European migration crackdown. Just days ago, Germany hosted a summit of EU interior ministers, where calls for coordinated deportations to Afghanistan and Syria gained new momentum.
While the German government attempts to strike a balance between domestic security concerns and international diplomatic caution, this unprecedented decision has already stirred debate across the bloc—raising questions about how far European nations are willing to go in confronting the growing pressures of migration, integration, and geopolitics.
