The Prime Minister of Germany’s Bavaria state has renewed his call for the decisive deportation of foreign criminals, including Afghan and Syrian nationals, as Germany continues to adopt a tougher approach to migration.
Bavarian Premier Markus Söder said Germany had reformed its immigration policy to send a clear signal that all criminals and human traffickers would face swift arrest and deportation in Bavaria, more quickly than in other regions of the country.
“Law and order prevail in Bavaria. Foreign criminals must be decisively deported — even to Afghanistan and Syria. Overall, we have brought a shift in migration policy. The principle is: more people should be deported, and fewer should be accepted,” Soder said.
His remarks come amid growing anxiety among Afghan nationals living in Germany, who claim the federal government has tightened its approach towards foreign nationals, especially Afghans, by granting more powers to state governments to deport individuals deemed criminal offenders under German law.
Political analyst Najib Rahman Shamal said Germany had recently enforced stricter measures on refugees involved in criminal activity. “These countries have reinforced their borders and imposed severe limitations,” he said.
Refugee rights activist Alireza Karimi said Soder’s statements reveal the harsh treatment of refugees. “Insisting on the deportation of Syrian and Afghan refugees indicates a significant legal shift in German state policy,” Karimi said.
Germany’s renewed deportation efforts follow its most recent action on July 17, when 81 Afghans were deported to Kabul — the second such deportation this solar year.
Amid these developments, Afghanistan’s caretaker government has appointed two diplomats, Nebras-ul-Haq Aziz and Mostafa Hashimi, to serve at its embassy in Germany.
While the Acting Foreign Minister has not publicly named the individuals, he confirmed two diplomats had been sent to assist Afghan nationals with consular services.
Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said: “We will have future talks and negotiations with Germany and, God willing, further progress. We also thank Qatar for its mediation, which, after several consecutive months of efforts, led to an understanding and agreement that enabled our diplomats to arrive there.”
Muttaqi praised Qatar’s efforts in facilitating the process and signalled possible future developments in relations between the Islamic Emirate and Germany.
Meanwhile, Shoib Baryalai, Director of Consular Services at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, announced that the passport issuance centre in Bonn will soon be reactivated after a four-year suspension. He said this would help resolve passport-related issues for Afghans across Europe.
“We have a passport printing office in Bonn that has been inactive for nearly four years. God willing, passports will be issued there for all of Europe, and this will help address the problems of Afghans living in those countries,” Baryalai said.
Although the German government has repeatedly maintained that its contacts with the caretaker government remain technical and unofficial, some political analysts see this as a sign of a gradual shift in Germany’s stance.
Najib Rahman Shamal noted: “In the past, there were calls for direct engagement. Now, with the arrival of the new government, Germany also seeks direct contact with the caretaker administration, including for the deportation of refugees.”
Nebras-ul-Haq Aziz previously worked at the Islamic Emirate’s political office in Qatar, while Mostafa Hashimi has served in the Consular Affairs Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
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