The German government is reportedly allowing Afghanistan's rulers, the Taliban, to expand their unofficial diplomatic presence in Germany. 

According to the AFP news agency, "no more than four" additional consular officials representing the Taliban government, which is not recognized internationally nor in Germany, will lay the groundwork for the German government's goal of deporting more Afghan criminals back to their home country, a spokesperson for the German Foreign Office said in Berlin on Monday (June 22).

"More passports need to be issued, and more identities need to be verified," the spokesperson said, explaining the move to the press. Therefore, it is necessary "for more consular officials here to work on making exactly what the German government aims to achieve possible," they added.

According to news agency dpa, it is not yet clear exactly when the Taliban officials will arrive in Germany.

Over the weekend, the interior ministry announced that up to three charter flights per month carrying Afghans to be deported would fly from Germany to Kabul once things are up and running. A corresponding agreement had been reached in "technical discussions" with Taliban representatives, AFP reported.

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Planned increase in deportation flights

The Foreign Office spokesperson called the planned increase in deportations to the Afghanistan a "welcome outcome," saying that it is in the federal government's interest for the additional flights to "begin quickly."

At the same time, the spokesperson announced a thorough vetting of the additional Afghan consular representatives coming to Germany, according to AFP. "We will, of course, take a very close look at these people."

According to AFP, the German Embassy in Kabul has been closed since August 2021. And Germany still does not officially recognize the current rulers in Afghanistan.

Although the exact number of individuals who might be deported on individual scheduled flights, using commercial airlines, is not always consistently reported, it seems that at least six reported instances of deportations from Germany back to Taliban-ruled Afghanistan took place since August 2024. The latest deportation was carried out last week, when 32 convicted criminals who had committed crimes were flown from Germany to Kabul via a charter flight.

Criticism from opposition party

The buttressing of diplomatic ties with the Taliban has been widely criticized by opposition parties, human rights groups and others.

In a statement on X, The Left party (Die Linke) foreign policy spokesperson Cansu Özdemirin called the rapprochement with the Taliban a "capitulation to an Islamist terrorist regime." 

"A regime that systematically violates human rights must not be legitimized through diplomatic concessions," she said in a speech in Germany's Parliament, the Bundestag, citing the worsening oppression of women and queer people in Afghanistan as examples.

Public opinion in Germany however, has soured towards Afghan migrants, following several high-profile attacks by Afghan nationals, such as a car-ramming in Munich last year that left 36 people injured.

The current German government under Chancellor Friedrich Merz, which came into power a little over a year ago, first called for direct talks with the Taliban to deport Afghan criminals last July. Since then, several groups of Afghan men have been deported directly to Afghanistan.

Investigations show that in April, Afghan citizens slated for deportation were presented to Taliban representatives on German government (BAMF -- Federal Bureau for Refugees and Migration) premises in preparation for the issuance of their deportation documents.

Austria is also taking action, having reportedly hosted a Taliban delegation last September. Other countries like Belgium and Sweden are considering similar moves, supported by those favoring stricter migration policies.

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First meeting with the Taliban in Brussels

On Tuesday (June 23), Taliban officials meanwhile met with EU officials in Brussels for talks on deportations and migration. To facilitate the meeting, Belgian authorities issued one-day visas to five Taliban officials.

The EU said the meeting is a "technical contact" with Afghanistan's de facto authorities, but critics warn it could help normalize a regime accused of rights abuses.

Human rights activists and organizations slammed the meeting, arguing the EU's stricter migration and asylum policies are taking precedence over human rights.

"Europe must not legitimize a regime responsible for one of the worst human rights crises in the world," Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai said on X.

The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) warned that the talks would consolidate and normalize the Taliban's systematic attack on fundamental rights since it took back power in 2021.

The Taliban are not officially recognized as Afghanistan's government by the EU or any EU member state, despite having ruled the country since 2021.

Since overthrowing a US- and ​NATO-backed government and reclaiming power in August 2021, the Taliban have steadily curtailed rights and enforced a strict interpretation of Islam with draconian laws. Among the measures are restrictions to women's freedom of movement, banning girls from education beyond primary school, and enforcing morality laws that limit free expression and access to employment.

with AFP, dpa, Reuters