Germany has deported 28 Afghan offenders to Kabul, Afghanistan, in the first deportation flight since 2021, amid a political debate over asylum and deportation rules. The deportation follows a deadly knife attack in Solingen, where the suspect was a failed Syrian asylum seeker.
The deportation flight was organized by the Federal Ministry of the Interior and involved the participation of 11 federal states, including Saxony-Anhalt, Saxony, and Thuringia. Each deportee received 1,000 Euros.
The deportation had been prepared by the Chancellor's Office and the internal authorities for over two months. The action is part of a security package that includes measures such as knife bans and the withdrawal of protection status for asylum seekers traveling to their home countries.
The deportation is controversial due to the risk of human rights violations in Afghanistan, but the government insists on deporting serious criminals and Islamist threats, even to Afghanistan and Syria. The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees has also initiated a return and deportation package before the Solingen attack, which aims to expedite the return of those not entitled to asylum.
