German magazine Spiegel reported that on Monday a plane carrying around 25 Afghan nationals departed Leipzig Airport bound for Kabul.
The migrants, accompanied by German police officers, are expected to be handed over to the Taliban in Kabul yesterday.
According to the report, the charter flight is scheduled to continue its journey to Kabul after a short stop in Turkey, after which the accompanying police officers will return to Germany on the same aircraft.
The report states that all deported individuals had been convicted of crimes, and many were transferred directly from prison to the airport.
The charges against them range from theft, money laundering, and drug trafficking to gang rape, manslaughter, hostage-taking, and kidnapping.
This is the third group deportation of Afghan nationals since the new German government came to power. Previously, in February, around 20 Afghans were also transferred from Leipzig to Kabul on a similar flight.
Germany also deported some Afghan migrants to Kabul in the summer of 2024, during the tenure of Chancellor Olaf Scholz. His government had asked Qatar to coordinate details with the Taliban, as Berlin did not seek direct talks with the group.
However, the current German government has taken a different approach, with the interior minister quickly reaching an agreement with the Taliban to enable regular deportation flights. The Taliban has reportedly agreed not to prosecute the returnees and to treat them humanely.
