Spiegel: German Government Wants to Deport Afghan Migrants via Uzbekistan

The German magazine Spiegel has reported that the government is negotiating with Uzbekistan to deport Afghan migrants without direct dialogue with the Taliban regime. In recent weeks, knife attacks by Afghan nationals in various parts of Germany have resulted in the death of a police officer and an Afghan man, leaving several others injured. Spiegel reported on Sunday, June 17, citing anonymous sources, that a delegation from the German Ministry of the Interior traveled to Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, in May to negotiate with Uzbek officials. According to the report, the German delegation proposed that individuals slated for deportation to Afghanistan be first transferred to Tashkent and then flown to Kabul via a private airline. The German Ministry of the Interior has not yet responded to this report. Following the death of the German police officer, the German Minister of the Interior stated on June 6 that they are considering the deportation of migrants from countries like Afghanistan and Syria, who are deemed security threats. Nancy Faeser announced that she is doing everything possible to resume the deportation of criminal migrants to countries such as Afghanistan and Syria. After the Taliban took power in Afghanistan in 2021, Germany halted the repatriation of migrants to a country where people are threatened with death. The new decision by the German government could be controversial in the country. Spiegel also reported that the Uzbek government wants to sign a formal immigration agreement with Germany before the deportation of Afghan migrants. According to the same report, this agreement should regulate the entry of skilled Uzbek workers into Germany, and German representatives will travel to Tashkent next week to reach this agreement. After the deadly attack in Mannheim, a 19-year-old Afghan national attacked a woman with a knife in Frankfurt, injuring her. On Saturday, German police shot and killed another Afghan migrant who had attacked a party watching the opening match of the European Championship after killing a compatriot.