First deportation flight to Afghanistan: Political turbulence in Leipzig!

First deportation flight to Afghanistan: Political turbulence in Leipzig!

In a situation that raises many questions, the German government is planning the first deportation to Afghanistan since the Taliban came to power in August 2021. On the morning of July 18, 2025, a Qatar Airways Airbus A330 was scheduled to take off from Leipzig/Halle Airport to the Afghan capital Kabul. Originally scheduled for 7:15 a.m., the flight was delayed, as MDR reports. The plane that was chartered specifically for this deportation landed in Leipzig the day before at 4:21 p.m.

The number of people on board this machine and their origin are currently unknown. There are also concerns about possible convicted criminals or so-called “threats” among those deported. Research by the taz shows that up to 50 Afghans were in custody before the flight, which brings the already controversial deportation into the public eye.

Human rights situation in Afghanistan

Deportations to Afghanistan are not an easy issue and are viewed by numerous organizations, including the German Institute for Human Rights, PRO ASYL and the Saxon Refugee Council, as incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights and the German Basic Law. The current security situation in Afghanistan, which is characterized by extrajudicial killings and torture, is worrying. Julia Duchrow from Amnesty International expressed clear concerns and warned: “Deportations to countries with a risk of torture are problematic” and emphasized the danger that the federal government could become an “accomplice of the Taliban”.

The legal framework is just as complex. The Residence Act does not allow deportations if the deportees are threatened with torture or inhumane treatment in their home country. The Interior Minister has already highlighted the need to review the legal conditions for deportations of convicted criminals to Afghanistan and Syria, particularly after a knife attack in Mannheim in which a police officer was killed. Political discussions about how deportations can be implemented legally and practically are gaining momentum. At the upcoming Interior Ministers' Conference it is expected that results examining these questions will be presented.

Politics and social reactions

The political landscape is further polarized by the ongoing debates about deportations. The federal government has been criticized for using the measures as “show politics” with a view to upcoming elections. Significant cuts in social benefits for asylum seekers in the Dublin procedure were also announced, which experts classified as unconstitutional. So already has that Federal Constitutional Court Similar cuts are classified as problematic.

It is clear that the next few days and weeks will be decisive in determining how these deportations are implemented in practice and what reactions follow from both the political and social sides. Uncertainty about the number of deportees and their legal status remains one of the main points of contention in this debate.