&w=3840&q=100)
‘Repatriation effort': Germany deports 81 Afghans to Taliban-ruled country citing ‘criminal past'; first time under Merz
People board a Qatar Airways plane, with federal police vehicles in front of it, on the apron at Leipzig/Halle Airport, Friday, July 18, 2025,- AP
Germany deported 81 Afghan men on Friday, its second such operation since the Taliban returned to power in 2021 and the first under Chancellor Friedrich Merz's new government, which has pledged a tougher stance on migration.
Authorities said all deportees had previously had their asylum applications rejected and had come to the attention of judicial authorities. The flight, organised with the assistance of Qatar, followed weeks of negotiations.
Chancellor Merz confirmed the deportation and said there had been contacts with Afghan authorities, though he did not provide further details. While Germany has not formally severed diplomatic ties with Afghanistan, it does not recognise the Taliban-led government in Kabul.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
More than 10 months ago, Germany resumed deportations to Afghanistan under former Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who also promised stricter action against rejected asylum-seekers.
'The decisive question is how one deals with this regime, and it will remain at technical coordination until further notice,' he said at a news conference in Berlin.
The Interior Ministry said the government aims to carry out more deportations to Afghanistan, but didn't specify when that might happen.
Merz made tougher migration policy a central plank of his campaign for Germany's election in February.
Just after he took office in early May, the government stationed more police at the border — stepping up border checks introduced by the Scholz government — and said some asylum-seekers trying to enter Europe's biggest economy would be turned away. It also has suspended family reunions for many migrants.
Asylum applications declined from 329,120 in 2023 to 229,751 last year and have continued to fall this year.
'You can see from the figures that we are obviously on the right path, but we are not yet at the end of that path,' Merz said.
The Afghan deportation flight took off hours before German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt plans to discuss migration with his counterparts from five neighbouring countries — France, Poland, Austria, Denmark and the Czech Republic — as well as the European Union's commissioner responsible for migration, Magnus Brunner. Dobrindt is hosting the meeting on the Zugspitze, Germany's highest peak, on the Austrian border.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
With inputs from agencies
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
7 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Afghan man helped US military against Taliban, almost got a green card. Then, immigration officials came for him
A 35-year-old Afghan translator who aided American troops during the war in Afghanistan has been detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Connecticut, in a move that has sparked bipartisan outrage and raised questions about the Trump administration's treatment of wartime allies. Identified as Zia S, the man entered the US legally in October 2024 on a Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) and humanitarian parole. He was arrested last week after attending a routine biometrics appointment for his green card in East Hartford, according to his attorney and multiple officials. He is currently being held at a detention facility in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Zia, a father of five, fled Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover in 2021. His visa was part of a US programme meant to protect foreign nationals who risked their lives to support US military operations abroad. 'This is the worst kind of abhorrent violation of basic decency,' said Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut) in a statement quoted by The Guardian. 'He actually worked and risked his life in Afghanistan to uphold the values and rights that are central to democracy.' Congresswoman Jahana Hayes, also from Connecticut, said Zia's family had been left in the dark. 'Our credibility is at stake. We have families who have risked everything not just for themselves, but for their entire family … in the name of standing up for the promises of our American democracy,' Hayes told The Guardian. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) told Reuters that Zia is under investigation for a 'serious criminal allegation,' though no specifics have been made public. His lawyer, Lauren Petersen, said she has no knowledge of any charges. 'Zia has done everything right. He's followed the rules. He has no criminal history,' she said. 'If he is deported … he faces death.' A federal judge has issued a temporary stay on his deportation, but Zia remains in custody. Zia is the third known Afghan ally to be detained by ICE since Donald Trump returned to office. More than 70,000 Afghans were brought into the US under President Biden's 'Operation Allies Welcome,' but many still face legal limbo. The Trump administration has also moved to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for nationals from countries including Afghanistan, Haiti, and Venezuela, despite ongoing unrest in those regions.
Mint
37 minutes ago
- Mint
India steps up global push for rare earth security amid China curbs
With China enforcing stringent controls on rare earth magnet exports, India has intensified its global outreach to safeguard the critical mineral supply chains, the government told Parliament on Wednesday. The government has initiated bilateral talks with Brazil and the Dominican Republic, and has also deepened engagement with multilateral platforms to build cooperation around rare earth elements and critical mineral security, Jitendra Singh, minister of state (independent charge) for science and technology, and the department of atomic energy, said. Apart from other portfolios, Singh also holds charge of the ministry of earth sciences. The union ministry of mines is engaged in these inter-governmental talks to sign memorandums of understanding, while the ministry of external affairs has tapped into relevant stakeholders to alleviate challenges arising from China's stranglehold over rare earth magnets, the minister's statement said. Rare earth magnets, essential to sectors like defence, electronics, clean mobility and renewable energy, have become a focal point of global strategic competition, with China holding a dominant position in their processing and trade. India has exported 18 tonnes of rare earth minerals over the last decade, the minister's written reply to Parliament said. It said India has approximately 7.23 million tonnes of rare earth oxides, which are processed to make magnets used in key strategic sectors such as defence, electronics, renewable energy, and clean mobility. "Additionally, Geological Survey of India (GSI) has augmented 482.6 Mt resources of REE (rare earth elements) ore at various cut-off grades in 34 exploration projects," the government said. It said the mines ministry has initiated talks with mineral-rich nations such as Australia, Argentina, Zambia, Peru, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi, Cote D'Ivoire as well as international organizations, such as the International Energy Agency (IEA). The ministry is also engaging with platforms such as the Minerals Security Partnership (MSP), the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), and the initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET). India's engagement with multilateral platforms is largely dependent on the US. The MSP is a US-led alliance of 14 countries, including India, and was set up in 2022 to secure critical mineral supply chains by reducing dependence on any one particular country. The IPEF is a similar US-led alliance of 14 countries, focusing on collaborative policies on trade, supply chains, clean energy, and decarbonisation. The iCET is a bilateral agreement between India and the US for collaboration in technology, including artificial intelligence and semiconductors. "Critical minerals such as lithium, graphite, cobalt, titanium, rare earth elements, etc., are demand intensive due to their strategic uses in various sectors, viz., electric vehicles, renewable energy and defence," the government said. "In case of any further development in rare earth mineral exports to Japan, efforts shall be undertaken to mitigate the disruptions," the government statement said. India had suspended its rare earth mineral export to Japan after China halted export of magnets made of the same material, according to a Reuters report on 15 June, citing unnamed sources. Mint had reported on 7 July that Indian importers rushed to purchase permanent magnets, including rare earth magnets, at a premium from China, ahead of the export control order issued on 4 April.
The Hindu
37 minutes ago
- The Hindu
BJP calls for development of Tier-2, Tier-3 cities for equitable growth and control urban migration
BJP president N. Ramchander Rao on Wednesday has highlighted the need for development to the Tier-2 and Tier -3 cities of Telangana for ensuring equitable growth distribution. It is not enough for Hyderabad capital region alone to be developed as rest of Telangana too should be brought onto the growth path and urban migration can be controlled only when sufficient employment opportunities should be created in the rural areas, he observed. Giving an insight into the party's road map for growth and development of the State at an event organised by the Federation of Telangana Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FTCCI) here, the State president has pointed out that the Central government has laid lot of emphasis on promoting start ups as well as small, medium and micro level enterprises which provide more employment opportunities. A separate Skill Development Ministry has been formed yet the industry is looking for skilled manpower, averred the former MLC and wondered if any policy level changes were necessary to deal with it. There is no development in the corporate sector and despite the Opposition accusing Centre of being a 'suit boot sarkar', it has created an ennobling environment for firms to thrive, he claimed. The BJP-led government at the Centre has been aiding Telangana and Hyderabad in building the proposed Regional Ring Road (RRR) and also the circular rail network abutting it to provide better connectivity. Mr. Rao called upon the youth to ride on the entrepreneurship model making use of the new age technologies like Artificial Intelligence, Semi-Conductors and others so that they can turn to job givers than job seekers. The Modi government initiatives has led to direct benefit transfer of schemes with the opening of bank accounts to those sections untouched with the banking sector, he said and sought suggestions from the organisation for improving upon the ease of doing businesses rules. FTCCI president R. Ravikumar and others were present.
