Three senior diplomatic sources in Europe have confirmed to Amu that the Afghan Consulate in Munich is collecting the personal information of passport applicants through a newly established information and statistics center managed by the Taliban.
One source suggested that the registration process is taking place without the approval of Germany’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs or its Civil Aviation Authority.
The sources expressed concerns that this move allows the Taliban access to sensitive personal data of Afghan citizens in Europe, many of whom fled due to security concerns posed by the Taliban.
Additionally, one source revealed that the Taliban-controlled Afghan Foreign Ministry is attempting to collect passport revenues through a bank based in the UAE.
Despite repeated attempts by Amu to reach him, the Afghan Consul General in Munich, Safatullah Rahimi, did not respond before the report was published. However, the consulate’s website recently announced that the issuance of new passports has been suspended until further notice.
Another notice indicated that Afghan citizens residing in the German states of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg can still apply for new passports.
According to senior diplomatic sources, since 2016, the Afghan Consulate in Bonn has been the sole facility in Europe authorized to print and issue Afghan passports, operating through an independent database inaccessible to Kabul. Turkey has also been issuing Afghan passports through a similar system.
In August, the Taliban Foreign Ministry declared the consular services of the Afghan Consulate in Bonn “invalid” due to a lack of cooperation. Meanwhile, diplomatic sources in Europe confirmed that the Afghan Consulate in Munich has started registering passport applications through a new database controlled by the Taliban.
“There are concerns that the Taliban’s access to personal information could endanger the lives of individuals in Europe and their families in Afghanistan,” said Akmal Baqa, a university professor in Germany.
One of the diplomatic sources emphasized that this new process is being carried out without permission from the German Foreign Ministry or the Civil Aviation Authority. Another source reiterated that the Taliban are seeking to collect passport revenues through a UAE-based bank.
In August 2024, the Taliban Foreign Ministry recognized the Afghan Consulate in Munich as one of five diplomatic missions in Europe whose consular services are officially acknowledged. In a statement, the Taliban identified these missions as being exempt from former restrictions and said their consular services would be treated like those of other diplomatic missions. The recognized missions include the Afghan Consulate in Munich, as well as embassies in the Netherlands, Spain, Bulgaria, and the Czech Republic.
The Afghanistan Consulate in Munich recently issued a notice stating that, due to technical challenges, passport applicants must wait until further notice. It also clarified that holders of expired electronic passports can apply for extensions.
Meanwhile, the consulate indicated that Afghan citizens in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg can apply for new passports at the Munich office. “Afghan citizens based in the German states of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, who wish to obtain an Afghan passport, can apply for a new electronic passport at the Consulate of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in Munich,” the notice explained.
An independent source in Munich confirmed that they had applied for a new passport at the Afghan Consulate in Munich nearly a month ago, and their application had been registered.
