Germany deports 20 criminals to Afghanistan on charter flight

By Ayhan Simsek

BERLIN (AA) - Germany deported 20 Afghan criminals to Kabul on a charter flight from Leipzig on Thursday, marking the first direct deportation to Afghanistan under a new government arrangement.

The deportees were men with enforceable deportation orders who had committed crimes in Germany, including sexual offenses, assault and drug-related crimes, according to the Interior Ministry.

"The deportation of criminals is a central component of our migration policy," Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said in a statement. "It is in the interest of our society that criminals leave our country. That is why we are taking consistent action and gradually expanding deportations."

The charter flight from Leipzig Airport marked the first direct deportation to Afghanistan without the mediation of a third country. German authorities said regular returns to Afghanistan will now be possible following an arrangement agreed upon with Afghan authorities after months of talks.

Last year, Germany arranged various deportation flights to Afghanistan that were mainly facilitated by Qatar, as Berlin had no official diplomatic relations with the Taliban-led government in Afghanistan.