BERLIN: A three-member Taliban delegation has made a confidential visit to Germany as Berlin prepares to expand the deportation of Afghan nationals, according to German media reports.
Germany’s Foreign Ministry confirmed that the delegation arrived in Berlin on Wednesday, saying the visit was connected to preparations for further deportations of Afghans.
The delegation travelled from Kabul to Doha before flying to Berlin after obtaining 30-day visas issued by the German mission in Qatar, according to German broadcaster NDR.
The Taliban representatives are currently staying at the Afghan embassy in Berlin’s Grunewald district and are expected to remain in Germany for around three weeks.
As part of the visit, members of the delegation are also expected to travel to Afghanistan’s consulates in Bonn and Munich next week, NDR reported.
Focus on deportation arrangements
The main objective of the delegation’s mission is reportedly to address the documentation and technical requirements needed to speed up the deportation of Afghan nationals from Germany.
Germany’s Foreign Ministry said a technical support team had also entered the country for a limited period to assist in establishing the necessary procedures and arrangements.
The visit comes as the German government moves towards increasing deportation flights to Afghanistan and deepening practical cooperation with the Taliban authorities to facilitate the process.
Germany has previously indicated that deportations would initially target Afghan asylum seekers convicted of serious crimes.
However, the scope has since drawn attention after the latest deportation flight also included some Afghans who had no criminal convictions.
Taliban officials already working in Germany
The latest visit is not the first time Taliban representatives have travelled to Germany for consular-related activities. Two Taliban consular officials arrived in Germany last year.
According to an NDR investigation, one of them has since effectively taken charge of the Afghan embassy in Berlin, while the other oversees Afghanistan’s consulate in Bonn.
The German government has said the officials are responsible for providing consular services to Afghans living abroad and helping facilitate the deportation of Afghan nationals – a policy also incorporated into the German coalition agreement.
However, NDR’s investigation found that the officials had allegedly taken on responsibilities beyond their stated consular duties.
According to the broadcaster, their activities included removing diplomats appointed by Afghanistan’s former government and bringing Afghan diplomatic missions in Germany into line with Taliban policy.
The investigation also reported that the officials were involved in ensuring that revenues generated by the Afghan embassy in Berlin and the consulates in Bonn and Munich through the issuance of passports and other official documents were transferred to Afghanistan while bypassing financial sanctions.
Growing practical engagement
The delegation’s presence in Germany highlights the increasingly practical nature of cooperation between Berlin and the Taliban authorities, despite Germany not formally recognising the Taliban government.
For Berlin, cooperation with the Taliban is primarily linked to migration management and the return of Afghan nationals who are required to leave Germany.
The latest mission is therefore expected to focus largely on administrative and technical arrangements rather than diplomatic recognition, as Germany seeks to make future deportations to Afghanistan more efficient.
German political critics argue that Berlin’s cooperation with the Taliban risks giving the group greater international legitimacy despite Germany’s continued refusal to recognise it formally.
Afghanistan Freedom Movement condemns Taliban delegation’s visit to Germany
Meanwhile, the Afghanistan Freedom Movement has condemned the Taliban delegation’s visit to Berlin, warning that closer engagement between Germany and the Taliban could have serious consequences for Afghan citizens.
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In a statement issued on Saturday, the movement said Afghans living in Germany should not become victims of migration policies or political disputes.
It stressed that the future and fate of Afghan citizens should not be entrusted to the Taliban, while also opposing what it described as the gradual normalisation of relations with the group.
The movement cited the Taliban’s history of violence and attacks as a reason for caution over increased diplomatic engagement.
Its statement comes amid growing controversy in Europe over contacts with the Taliban and the deportation of Afghan migrants, issues that have sparked debate over how European governments should deal with Afghanistan’s de facto authorities.
