The Austrian government is seeking to collaborate with Germany to facilitate the deportation of Afghan nationals with criminal records back to Afghanistan. This follows Germany’s recent deportation of 28 individuals convicted of crimes, the first such deportation flight since the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021.
Austria has expressed its intention to work closely with Germany on joint deportations. “The Minister of the Interior has been in negotiations with the German Minister of the Interior for a very long time about how we can solve the problem of deportations to Afghanistan, because Austria is also deporting Afghans and Syrians right now,” said Austria’s Chancellor Karl Nehammer. “The next step is to be able to deport people directly to Afghanistan or Syria.”
Austria’s Interior Minister Gerhard Karner praised Germany’s recent deportation efforts, calling the decision “very good.” In March, Karner had emphasized the need to reassess the European Union’s ban on deportations to Afghanistan and Syria, describing the issue as “necessary and urgent.” He noted that current EU law prevents member states from repatriating individuals to these countries due to concerns about their safety.
Germany’s deportation of Afghan nationals has sparked criticism from human rights organizations. Amnesty International warned that such actions risk making the German government an accomplice to the Taliban’s oppressive regime. Julia Duchrow, Secretary General of Amnesty International Germany, condemned the deportations as political theater, asserting that they clearly violate international law. “We all have human rights, and no one should be deported to a country where there is a risk of torture,” Duchrow said.
