Interior Ministry officials negotiate deportations to Kabul
According to Der Spiegel, the talks are said to have been about "technical details of the repatriations" as well as procedures and security issues. Two officials from the department of the ministry responsible for the federal police reportedly traveled to Kabul, visited the airport and met with representatives of the Taliban authorities.
Federal Minister of the Interior Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) had previously announced the talks. In future, the aim is "that deportations to Afghanistan can take place regularly", he told Bild am Sonntag. This would initially affect criminals and people at risk.
In recent years, two deportation flights to Afghanistan have taken place - the first in 2024 under the former federal government, the second in July 2025 under the new black-red federal government. In total, more than 100 men were deported who had been convicted of violent crimes, sexual offenses or drug offenses in Germany.
Germany has no official relations with the Taliban
Officially, Germany still does not recognize the Taliban government. Nevertheless, contacts with the rulers are increasing. The Federal Foreign Office confirmed to the media that two consular officials sent by the Taliban are now working in Germany - one in Berlin and one in Bonn. They are to provide Afghan nationals in Germany with passports and documents.
This move is not without controversy: In protest against the appointment of the representative of the Taliban government to the Bonn consulate, all employees there, including the acting Consul General Hamid Nangialay Kabiri, laid down their work just last week. The consulate in Bonn has been closed since then.
The German government emphasized that the talks in Kabul served the "operational preparation" of future repatriations and were not a political recognition of the Taliban.
Criticism of the negotiations
Sharp criticism of the negotiations with the group, which is classified as a terrorist organization, has come from the opposition. Agnieszka Brugger, deputy parliamentary group leader of the Greens, accused the German government of negotiating with an organization that systematically oppresses women and girls. "If the CDU/CSU and SPD make dirty deals with the Taliban, they need never again pretend that the rights of women and girls are worth anything to them," Brugger told Der Spiegel.
Domestic policy experts also warn that further deportations could pose security risks that are difficult to verify. The Taliban are on international sanctions lists and several members of the government are considered suspected terrorists.
Conclusion: What happens next?
According to various media reports (including Der Spiegel), further deportation flights to Afghanistan could take place this year. Whether and under what conditions this will happen is currently unknown. The Federal Ministry of the Interior has not commented on possible agreements or quid pro quos.
One thing is certain: In the coalition agreement, the German government has committed to resuming deportations to certain countries of origin - including Afghanistan and Syria - starting with criminals and those posing a risk. In the long term, however, this regulation could also be extended to people who are not entitled to asylum.
It is currently unclear whether the talks in Kabul will actually pave the way for regular repatriations. One thing is certain: the dialog between Germany and the Taliban is becoming closer - and politically it remains highly controversial.
