The German state of Hesse announced that deportations to Afghanistan are no longer limited to convicted criminals, and individuals required to leave the country will now be deported on a regular basis.
According to the Zharfa News Agency, Roman Poseck, Hesse’s Interior Minister, announced on Wednesday, July 23, that the German federal government has paved the way for systematic deportations of rejected Afghan asylum seekers. He stated that this process will now apply to all individuals obligated to leave the country, not just criminals.
Hesse’s Interior Ministry emphasized that the Federal Police have lifted previous restrictions on “presence for the purpose of identity verification” for Afghan citizens. This procedure had previously been applied only to criminals and individuals posing a threat to security.
Poseck added that Hesse’s priority remains the deportation of criminals and dangerous individuals, but the state will also make use of the new options beyond that.
Under this decision, those being deported must be adult males, unmarried, and in possession of a deportation order. Exceptions will be very limited.
Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt also stressed the implementation of these deportations on Monday of this week, linking the move to recent security incidents such as the knife attack in Trier.
