Germany-Afghanistan, deporting Afghans to Kabul
Germany–Afghanistan: Negotiations to send back Afghans to Kabul
The European Union, through Germany, is pulling Afghanistan out of diplomatic isolation—after Syria, which has already managed quite the comeback.
Germany is negotiating with the Taliban on deporting Afghan nationals.
Since the UN quietly and without much protest created a sort of “ex-terrorist” status, everything has become possible. Every state can now open talks with any totalitarian regime that has completely dispensed with the concept of human or women’s rights. Berlin and Kabul are on the same page—and probably won’t be the last. The Syrian precedent marks a decisive shift for the UN itself.
A First Example Within the EU
One can only imagine what would happen if its large neighbor, France, followed the same example in terms of border control and deportation policies (OQTFs). Would this mean that the European Union is letting Germany take the lead, in the absence of any real consensus among the 27 member states—France included, silent as usual?
Berlin and Kabul started by exchanging envoys. The next step was the official visit of a German delegation to define the procedures for deporting Afghan citizens. The icing on the cake? Discussions also covered the possible establishment of full diplomatic relations between the EU’s most powerful country and the Taliban’s totalitarian and discriminatory regime.
The goal is to upgrade the staff of the existing Taliban consulate general into fully accredited diplomats. This sparked a major incident: the consulate’s staff resigned en masse, apparently in protest against the appointment and accreditation of two “genuine” Taliban representatives. Germany insists on being able to deport criminals—or alleged ones—and believes that having two full-fledged Taliban on-site will ensure “better coordination” of deportations, mostly by air.
The Issue
Germany currently hosts about 450,000 Afghan nationals, roughly 35,000 of whom arrived after the Taliban takeover in August 2021. France, by comparison, counts around 100,000 Afghans.
The resigning consul warned of the serious dangers faced by deportees forced to return to Kabul.
Over the past year, Berlin has already carried out several deportations. Meanwhile, the government is working to wind down the “Afghan Admission Program” launched in 2022, aimed at curbing new arrivals. So far, that inflow has remained limited thanks to cumbersome procedures and Berlin’s clear intent to slow it down.
Backtracking
When the Taliban seized power, Germany suspended deportations. Once the current coalition took office, they resumed. Around thirty Afghans convicted of various offenses were expelled; in July, over eighty more followed.
After a series of court challenges to the foreign ministry’s visa cancellations, the coalition decided to end the Afghan admission program altogether. The government also suspended the resettlement of Afghans who had worked for German institutions in Afghanistan—effectively leaving them exposed to Taliban reprisals as “collaborators.”
During the Taliban’s takeover of Kabul and the ensuing chaos, some 30,000 Afghans fled to Germany. Berlin tried to regulate these arrivals by creating its own, much more restrictive “admission program.” Applicants had to file a request and then obtain their visa from German consular services in Pakistan—a logistical nightmare.
In three years, only about 3,000 people managed to register under the program, far short of the initial target of 1,000 per month. To make matters worse, applicants first need a Pakistani visa, which often expires before the German one is issued. As a result, many Afghans waiting in Pakistan fall into illegality and face arrest and deportation. Hundreds of Afghans waiting for German visas are now in legal limbo, creating tensions and increasing the risk of their forced return to Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, Russia Officially Recognized the New Regime in July
And the United States has reversed course.
On July 18, 2025, President Trump announced that Washington wants to reclaim control of its former Bagram Air Base—abandoned during the chaotic American withdrawal. The goal is clearly to re-establish a military foothold between China and Iran.
The project sparked a wave of outrage in the Senate and Congress, which haven’t forgotten the disastrous US retreat and its heavy toll. Kabul refused.
This marks another diplomatic victory for the Taliban regime—after Berlin and Moscow. The situation is clearly “normalizing.” One might even wonder whether all this is just a pretext for a deal—perhaps with Afghanistan’s mineral wealth and rare earths (currently monopolized by China) as the true prize.
This development comes as Pakistan-Afghanistan relations reach a boiling point, due to repeated incursions by armed groups operating from Afghan territory in support of Islamist militants seeking to overthrow Islamabad’s government.
Meanwhile, at a September meeting, representatives from Pakistan, China, Russia, and Iran all expressed opposition to a new US base in Afghanistan. And on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, nine countries—Afghanistan, Russia, China, Pakistan, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan—met in the so-called “Moscow Format,” unanimously declaring their opposition to an American presence, despite their divergent interests.
This shows that Moscow and Beijing still maintain significant regional influence—though the complexity of such “unanimity” should not be understated. India, the subcontinent’s major power, also opposes an American return. Tariff hikes imposed by Washington have further strained relations. Still, India—eager to counter Pakistan’s influence—is expected to reopen its embassy in Kabul soon.
France’s Position (Excerpt from the Official Website)
French Foreign Ministry communiqué:
“Afghanistan – Four Years After the Taliban’s Return to Power (August 15, 2025)
Four years after the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan, France reaffirms its solidarity with the Afghan people and its determination to use every tool available to improve their situation. The decisions taken over the past year by the Taliban once again demonstrate their blatant disregard for the obligations laid out by UN Security Council Resolution 2593 (2021), which France continues to urge them to respect.”
(Does Paris really believe Kabul cares about UN resolutions when Germany, Russia, and India are all normalizing relations? One may doubt it.)
“France also reiterates its strongest condemnation of the Taliban’s systematic and grave violations against Afghan women and girls, whose goal is to erase half the country’s population. The Taliban’s December 2024 ban on women entering medical schools—adding to countless other abuses—is unjustifiable and unacceptable.
France remains fully committed to supporting the Afghan population through concrete humanitarian projects carried out by UN agencies and NGOs in education, health, and women’s rights.”
As a side note—what exactly is being done about the French hostages in Iran and Algeria, under those same noble principles?
Lack of Cohesion in EU Foreign and Defense Policy—and General Indifference Toward Regimes They Deal With
Alas, nothing new under the sun. Each of the 27 EU members plays its own game. The result is a glaring absence of leadership on major issues and an inability to exert real influence—fine speeches notwithstanding.
One is reminded of the American president’s oft-quoted maxim: “the strength of diplomacy through strength itself”—in other words, power first, talk later.
Lord Palmerston was right: Nations have no friends, only interests.
Such is the world we live in.