Germany Grants 30-Day Visas to Taliban Delegation to Accelerate Deportations to Kabul

Arrival of the technical delegation

Three Taliban diplomats have entered Germany after obtaining 30-day visas issued by the German diplomatic mission in Qatar. The delegation is stationed at the Afghan embassy located in the Grunewald district of Berlin, following reporting by public broadcaster NDR on Friday evening. Germany's Foreign Office confirmed the presence of the three individuals, describing them as a temporary technical support team tasked with establishing administrative procedures for deportations. German authorities require identity papers and travel certificates recognized by Afghanistan's de facto government to carry out returns. The federal government authorized the team's entry to fulfill targets established in the coalition agreement for repatriating individuals legally obligated to leave the country.

Consular integration and policy leadership

Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt has acted as the main political driver behind the deportation push, setting an explicit objective to raise return figures. To facilitate these procedures, the federal government permitted the Taliban to deploy individual diplomats to Afghan representations in Germany over recent months. This arrangement allowed representatives of the Kabul regime to assume control at the embassy in Berlin as well as consulates general in Bonn and Munich. Prior to these appointments, Afghan diplomatic facilities in Germany were staffed solely by diplomats accredited under the previous Afghan administration. Germany's approach contrasts with the policies of Austria and numerous other European nations, which have refused to permit Taliban-appointed officials to operate within Afghan diplomatic missions on their territory.

The Foreign Office explained the logistical rationale behind admitting the technical personnel in an official statement.

For the goal agreed in the coalition agreement to carry out returns to Afghanistan, documents must be issued that the de facto government recognizes.

Return flights and operational obstacles

According to figures from the Federal Ministry of the Interior, a total of 228 Afghan men have been deported since the beginning of the current legislative period. These deportation flights have focused primarily on convicted criminal offenders, and authorities have returned only male nationals to date. The most recent charter operation departed from Leipzig/Halle Airport on Tuesday, transporting 23 deportees directly to Kabul. Operational coordination has experienced friction in recent months, leading to the cancellation of a planned collective deportation flight in early June. That flight was halted after Taliban authorities refused cooperation, expressing dissatisfaction with what they viewed as an inadequate willingness to engage in dialogue by German Foreign Office officials.

Recognition dispute and parliamentary criticism

The federal government maintains that working-level cooperation does not constitute official diplomatic recognition of the Taliban regime in Kabul. However, the decision to grant visas and facilitate consular control has drawn criticism from parliamentary opponents, notably within the Green Party. Critics argue that granting practical concessions to the Islamist leadership compromises Germany's stance on human rights violations, particularly the severe restrictions imposed on women and girls in Afghanistan. Government representatives counter that direct technical interaction remains necessary to secure enforceable documentation for individuals required to leave Germany. The visiting Taliban personnel are expected to conclude their technical mission before their 30-day visas expire.