Germany presses ahead with deportations to Afghanistan - International
The interior ministry said a plane carrying the men took off Friday morning bound for Afghanistan, adding that all the deportees were under expulsion orders and were convicted by the criminal justice system.
The government of Europe's top economy was forging ahead with a "policy change", said Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt, who was hosting several European counterparts for a migration meeting.
"Deportations to Afghanistan must continue to be carried out safely in the future. There is no right of residence for serious criminals in our country."
Berlin has had only indirect contact with the Taliban authorities through third parties with Friday's operation executed with the help of Qatar, said the German interior ministry.
Germany had stopped deportations to Afghanistan and closed its embassy in Kabul following the Taliban's return to power in 2021.
But expulsions resumed last year for the first time since the Taliban came to power, when the previous government of Social Democrat chancellor Olaf Scholz expelled a group of 28 Afghans convicted of crimes.
Rights concerns
Human rights group Amnesty International strongly criticised the renewed deportations to Afghanistan saying the situation in the country was "catastrophic".
"Extrajudicial executions, enforced disappearances, and torture are commonplace," the group said in a statement.
At the beginning of the month, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for two senior Taliban leaders in Afghanistan, accusing them of crimes against humanity over the persecution of women and girls.
Merz told a press conference on Friday that Germany wants to be an "attractive country for immigration", to attract the best talent and fill gaping labour shortages,
The previous government's policies had however left local administrations with too large a burden to carry, Merz said.
His government had "initiated corrections" to put migration policy on the right course, he said, including tightening border controls and limiting family reunifications rights for some refugees.
Merz said that policing Germany's borders with its neighbours was only a "temporary" solution and a durable solution was needed at the European level.
Migration summit
Dobrindt was meeting his French, Polish, Austrian, Danish and Czech counterparts, as well as European Commissioner for Home Affairs Magnus Brunner, in southern Germany on Friday.
The objective of the meeting is to "strengthen European migration policy," Dobrindt told the Augsburger Allgemeine daily.
A debate over resuming expulsions has flared as migration has risen up the political agenda in tandem with the rise of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.
The AfD scored a historic election result of over 20 percent in February -- its highest score at a national level -- leaving the party nipping on the heels of Merz's conservative CDU/CSU bloc.
The controversy over immigration was fuelled by a series of deadly attacks last year where the suspects were asylum seekers -- including several from Afghanistan.
Germany's new government, a coalition between the CDU/CSU and the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD), has promised to expel more foreign criminals alongside a crackdown on irregular migration.
As well as carrying out deportations to Afghanistan, Dobrindt has said he was in contact with authorities to enable deportations to Syria, which have been suspended since 2012.
Longtime Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad was toppled in December. The country is now under the control of Islamist leaders, some of whom were once linked with the Al-Qaeda jihadist network.
Follow us on:
Short link:
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
See - Sada Elbalad
8 hours ago
- See - Sada Elbalad
US, EU Strike Landmark Trade Deal Setting Tariffs at 15%
Taarek Refaat The United States and the European Union have reached a sweeping trade agreement that sets a unified tariff rate of 15% on most goods exchanged between the two economic powers. The announcement came just days before a looming deadline set by U.S. President Donald Trump, who had threatened to double tariffs on EU imports if a deal was not secured. The agreement, first reported by Politico, covers a wide range of goods, including automotive imports and industrial products. However, pharmaceutical products are notably exempt from the new tariff regime. 'This is a tremendous deal for both the United States and the European Union,' President Trump told reporters following a high-level meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Scotland. 'We've leveled the playing field, and we're entering a new era of fair and reciprocal trade.' As part of the accord, the EU has pledged to purchase $750 billion worth of American energy exports over the coming years, a move seen as a strategic effort to reduce reliance on Russian energy sources. The deal also includes a European commitment to increase military equipment investment by an additional $600 billion, compared to previous defense spending plans. In return, U.S. markets will maintain access to European goods under the agreed 15% tariff rate, while the EU has agreed to open its markets to U.S. products without any additional customs duties, marking a significant shift in European trade policy. Experts say the agreement signals a recalibration of U.S.–EU relations after years of friction over tariffs, digital taxes, and industrial subsidies. It also reflects a shared interest in strengthening economic ties amid growing global uncertainty and rising competition from China. 'This is not just about trade. It's about geopolitical alignment,' said Dr. Lisa Reinhardt, a trade analyst at the Atlantic Policy Institute. 'Energy, defense, and market access, this agreement touches every pillar of the transatlantic alliance.' While the details of the agreement will require ratification on both sides of the Atlantic, early market reactions have been positive. European auto stocks rose sharply following the news, and energy sector shares in the U.S. also posted gains. The deal is expected to go into effect later this year, pending legislative approvals. read more CBE: Deposits in Local Currency Hit EGP 5.25 Trillion Morocco Plans to Spend $1 Billion to Mitigate Drought Effect Gov't Approves Final Version of State Ownership Policy Document Egypt's Economy Expected to Grow 5% by the end of 2022/23- Minister Qatar Agrees to Supply Germany with LNG for 15 Years Business Oil Prices Descend amid Anticipation of Additional US Strategic Petroleum Reserves Business Suez Canal Records $704 Million, Historically Highest Monthly Revenue Business Egypt's Stock Exchange Earns EGP 4.9 Billion on Tuesday Business Wheat delivery season commences on April 15 News Israeli-Linked Hadassah Clinic in Moscow Treats Wounded Iranian IRGC Fighters Arts & Culture "Jurassic World Rebirth" Gets Streaming Date News China Launches Largest Ever Aircraft Carrier Videos & Features Tragedy Overshadows MC Alger Championship Celebration: One Fan Dead, 11 Injured After Stadium Fall Lifestyle Get to Know 2025 Eid Al Adha Prayer Times in Egypt Business Egyptian Pound Undervalued by 30%, Says Goldman Sachs Arts & Culture South Korean Actress Kang Seo-ha Dies at 31 after Cancer Battle Sports Get to Know 2025 WWE Evolution Results News "Tensions Escalate: Iran Probes Allegations of Indian Tech Collaboration with Israeli Intelligence" Arts & Culture Hawass Foundation Launches 1st Course to Teach Ancient Egyptian Language
Daily News Egypt
10 hours ago
- Daily News Egypt
Iran launches mass deportation of Afghans amid spying allegations
Iran has launched a large-scale campaign of mass deportations and arrests targeting Afghan migrants, following accusations that 'undocumented migrants from Afghanistan spied for Israel' and assisted it with missile launches during a 12-day conflict last June, Bloomberg reported. The allegations were broadcast by Iran's official state broadcasting authority, while the semi-official Tasnim news agency, which is affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, reported that authorities had arrested a number of Afghans on charges of 'espionage and possession of instructional evidence for making drones and explosives'. The United Nations said on Friday that more than one million people have returned to Afghanistan since 1 June, including 627,000 who were deported by the authorities. 'Our teams are on the border receiving and assisting large numbers of exhausted, hungry and terrified people,' Babar Baloch, a spokesperson for the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), told the agency in an email. 'The staff and facilities are completely overstretched.' The spying allegations have ignited a wave of violence and harassment targeting the already marginalised Afghan refugee community, which has grown in Iran since the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and subsequent wars, including the U.S. invasion in 2001. According to the U.N., about 2.6 million officially registered Afghans live in Iran, in addition to an estimated 500,000 others who are undocumented and considered 'illegal' by the Iranian state. Iranian officials estimate the total number of Afghans residing in the country to be around six million people, equivalent to about 7% of the population. They often refer to them as 'guests' who can access housing and basic services, at a time when Iran's economy is under pressure from sanctions. While the Iranian government insists that deportations are limited to Afghans classified as 'illegal', the Afghanistan Analysts Network, an independent research organisation, has received numerous reports of individuals with valid passports and identity documents being targeted, creating a state of panic and fear. 'Devastating consequences' The United Nations has warned that the deportation campaign will have 'devastating consequences' for Afghanistan as well as for the communities and families being displaced, noting this includes the loss of millions of dollars in remittances sent home annually by Afghans working in Iran. For his part, the prime minister of the Taliban government, Mohammad Hassan Akhund, called on the Iranian authorities to 'handle the deportation process with patience and gradually', according to a statement from his office. This call contrasts with the accounts of several deportees interviewed by Bloomberg, who reported that Iranian authorities were rounding up Afghans from the streets, transferring them to remote detention centres, and then deporting them by bus to the Islam Qala border crossing into Afghanistan's western Herat province. 'Many of them have been away from their homeland for years and have no home or shelter,' said U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, during a visit to the Islam Qala crossing. 'Many people are living at or below the poverty line, so this influx will be a huge burden on the country.' An uncertain future Deportees face the challenge of building a new life in a poor, sanctions-laden Afghanistan that is suffering from multiple crises, including severe food insecurity, water shortages, and an infrastructure devastated by successive wars. Bloomberg noted that many deportees would be vulnerable to targeting by the Taliban if they had worked for the former Afghan government or for American or European institutions. Girls and women will be denied education beyond the sixth grade and are largely excluded from employment opportunities. 'I feel like I've entered the world's largest prison, even though it's my homeland,' Ahmad Saber, a deportee in Herat, told the agency by telephone. 'What will happen to the education of my three daughters and their future?'. Last week, London-based Amnesty International called on Iran to immediately stop the 'forced displacement' of Afghans, asserting that it violates the international principle prohibiting the return of any person to a country where they face the risk of human rights violations. Amnesty said the expulsion of women and girls to Afghanistan puts them at particular risk due to the Taliban's policy of gender-based persecution. Research published on Thursday by the U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) showed that Afghans forcibly returned to the Taliban-controlled state last year were subjected to serious human rights violations, including torture, ill-treatment, arbitrary arrest, and threats to their personal security. The majority of Afghans who flee to Iran belong to the Hazara minority, who, like most Iranians, are Shi'ite Muslims and have faced violent persecution by the Taliban. Due to strong linguistic and religious ties, Iran has been considered a natural haven for them, and it shares a porous border with Afghanistan stretching for about 1,000 kilometres. However, Iranian authorities impose strict restrictions on the ability of Afghans to integrate, even after decades of residence and starting families in the country. Afghans are often barred from obtaining citizenship unless one parent is an Iranian national. It is difficult for Afghans to enter universities and many professional sectors, with many ending up in temporary jobs or the construction sector.
Daily News Egypt
10 hours ago
- Daily News Egypt
EU, China agree on rare earths, climate but divisions remain on trade, Ukraine
The European Union and China agreed at their 25th summit in Beijing on a new mechanism to help facilitate the export of rare earth elements and issued a joint statement on combating climate change, but divisions over issues including bilateral trade and the Russia-Ukraine conflict will require further talks to be addressed. The issue of rare earth metal supply chains has become an increasingly significant topic in global discussions. During a high-level meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU was 'not seeking to decouple or cut supply chains with China, and welcomes Chinese companies to invest and do business in Europe'. Following the summit, von der Leyen elaborated on the new agreement at a press conference in Beijing. 'We have agreed on an enhanced export supply mechanism. In other words, if bottlenecks arise, this mechanism can immediately intervene to examine and solve the problem or issue at hand,' she said. Chinese customs data shows that China's magnet exports to the EU accounted for about half of its total shipments in June, the highest rate this year, with more licences having been granted in accordance with laws and regulations. Earlier, during a European tour on July 3, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that 'the export of rare metals will not become a contentious issue between China and the European Union'. He added that it is the right and international responsibility of any sovereign state to impose necessary regulations on dual-use goods, which can be used for both civilian and military purposes. Wang also noted that the Chinese government had established a 'fast-track' mechanism to facilitate exports to European companies. Feng Chongping, director of the Institute of European Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and president of the Chinese Society for European Studies, said: 'The Europeans always talk about 'de-risking', but they immediately follow it with 'no to decoupling', because decoupling is impossible.' He added that the two sides share deep economic interests. 'The European economy cannot do without China. Europe, as China's second-largest trading partner, is one of its most important export markets.' A 'crucial juncture' or a 'turning point'? The European Chamber of Commerce in China on Friday welcomed the outcomes of the EU-China summit, saying in a statement that the meeting had 'exceeded expectations'. It highlighted several positive developments, including the joint statement affirming a mutual commitment to combating climate change and the establishment of the enhanced export supply mechanism. Jens Eskelund, president of the European Chamber of Commerce in China, said the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the EU and China presented an opportunity not only to acknowledge successes but also to conduct a 'maintenance check' on the relationship. During the summit in Beijing on July 24-25, held to mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations, President Xi said that China-EU relations had reached 'another crucial juncture in history', while von der Leyen described the relationship as being at a 'turning point'. On the same day, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that the two sides had reached several important agreements, particularly in the fields of climate change and export controls. Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grlić Radman, during a visit to China before the summit, said that competition exists, 'but cooperation is the only option to ensure the future of the next generations'. 'There may be differences between China and the European Union, but we need dialogue to keep communication channels open and achieve a balanced, equal and mutually beneficial relationship by reducing trade and investment barriers,' he added. China's ambassador to the EU, Cai Run, said that 'some frictions are inevitable, but resolving differences requires political sincerity and strategic resolve', stressing that economic and trade cooperation remains the cornerstone and main driver of China-EU relations. Division over the war in Ukraine European leaders often view their relationship with China through the prism of the Russia-Ukraine war. On July 21, China's foreign and commerce ministries condemned unilateral EU sanctions on Chinese banks and companies over Russia, vowing to take necessary measures to protect their legitimate rights. In February, Foreign Minister Wang Yi reiterated that China-Russia relations are characterised by 'not being an alliance, not a confrontation, and not targeting any third party'. When asked about European pressure on China to stop buying gas from Russia, Wang questioned: 'If China does not import oil and gas from Russia, how can it meet the needs of more than 1.4 billion people?'. Feng Chongping noted that moving forward in China-EU relations cannot ignore problems and challenges, but said that some European media and analysts focus only on the negatives. 'These challenges and problems actually show where the common interests between China and the EU are concentrated,' he said. Climate change and technology Following the summit's conclusion, von der Leyen posted on X, formerly Twitter: 'China-EU cooperation on climate can set a global benchmark, and we will work together to make COP30 a success'. On Friday, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres welcomed the commitment by China and the EU to deepen cooperation on tackling climate change and supporting a just global transition. On the same day, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun praised the joint statement on climate, considering it an expression of a shared commitment to addressing climate issues and promoting green development. 'Although the EU sees great competition with China, China is considered an indispensable partner on the climate file,' Feng Chongping said in an interview, confirming that cooperation between the two sides in this area is proceeding well. In the joint statement, China and the EU pledged to accelerate the global deployment of renewable energy, promote the flow of high-quality green technology and products, and make them available, affordable and suitable for all countries, including developing nations. The two sides also agreed to enhance bilateral cooperation in areas such as energy transition, climate change adaptation, methane emissions control, carbon markets, and green and low-carbon technologies. Both parties committed to submitting their 2035 Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) before the UN Climate Change Conference, COP30. The joint statement did not mention the United States, which is set to withdraw from the Paris Agreement again in January 2026 after the re-election of President Trump and his administration's submission of a formal withdrawal request.
