German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt has announced plans to initiate direct negotiations with the Taliban in Afghanistan to facilitate the repatriation of criminals from Germany, RKS News reports.
In an interview with Focus magazine, Dobrindt stated that relying on third-party intermediaries “cannot remain a permanent solution.”
Since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, Germany has halted deportations to Afghanistan, with the exception of a single case in August last year when 28 individuals were returned to Kabul via Qatar’s mediation.
Dobrindt also acknowledged that deportations to Syria remain a major challenge. He confirmed that Germany has had contact with the new authorities in Syria, composed largely of the HTS Islamist militia, in hopes of reaching an agreement to return Syrian criminals.
So far, however, no concrete results have been reported from these talks.
