A return to a dangerous homeland
Faridoon Tofan, a 46-year-old Afghan man, is currently held in a Munich deportation center, fearing imminent repatriation to Kabul. His deportation is significant because he has no criminal record, yet his appeal against deportation was rejected in July.
Tofan had fled Afghanistan to Germany four years ago and had since built a life there, learning German and working steadily. In April, he was detained during a border check after an unauthorized trip to Italy and sent to a detention center.
His asylum application was denied, and he holds only a temporary residence permit. That left him vulnerable under German law. If deported, he would be sent back to a country where his family has already faced intimidation. His wife and six children live in Kabul, and they fear for their safety after being visited by Taliban officials.
The Taliban's quiet reach in Germany
The Taliban has begun to assert influence over Afghan diplomatic offices in Germany. Both the embassy in Berlin and the consular office in Bonn are now under Taliban control. Human rights groups and Germany’s opposition parties have criticized this state of affairs.
Nina Alizadeh Marandi, an asylum law expert at Amnesty International, said the family’s situation illustrates how the Taliban’s presence in German institutions is already causing fear for those with family in Afghanistan. Tofan’s wife reported that their sons no longer dare to go to school.
Tofan’s meeting with Afghan consulate staff in Berlin is said to have drawn the Taliban’s attention to his family. It is unclear exactly what prompted the visit, but it seems to have triggered the interest of the Taliban regime.
A deportation flight sparks protest
Earlier this week, a Freebird Airlines Airbus carrying an Afghan national with no criminal record took off from Leipzig/Halle Airport at 1:43 a.m., bound for Trabzon, Turkey, before continuing on to Kabul. On board were 30 convicted offenders, making the case the first in recent memory to include a non-criminal.
The flight led to a protest. Two hundred demonstrators from an anti-racism alliance gathered at the airport, demanding the government cease deportations to Afghanistan. Police were on hand to monitor the demonstration. Luca Müller, a spokesperson for the alliance, linked the deportation policy to the recent Islamist attack on Berlin’s Pride event.
Müller said the government’s support of the Taliban through diplomatic channels is “a de facto legitimization” of an administration responsible for a worsening human rights crisis in Afghanistan.
Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt, a member of Bavaria’s conservative CSU, defended the policy. He said the government is simply enforcing the law and pushing a “shift in migration policy” with “a firm stance.”
Dobrindt noted that anyone whose asylum application has been denied must leave Germany and can expect deportation if they do not leave voluntarily. He framed the policy as necessary to regain control over migration.
Germany has deported more than 200 individuals to Afghanistan since 2024. But Amnesty International has confirmed that at least one of them was killed after his return to Kabul.
The UN migration agency (IOM) has said the return of men to Afghanistan is “feasible in principle,” citing an “improved security situation.” But Mihyung Park, the IOM’s country chief in Kabul, added a caveat: she strongly advised women against returning to Afghanistan under current conditions.
UN agencies emphasize that returnees need substantial support to resettle. Amnesty International criticizes the German government for pushing forward with tighter deportation rules without considering the risks to human rights in Afghanistan.