Deportations to Afghanistan are now permissible, Austria’s Federal Office for Immigration and Asylum announced, due to the “changed security situation” in the country. Austria intends to follow Germany’s lead by deporting Afghan nationals with criminal records back to their homeland.
This decision comes after Germany deported 28 convicted criminals to Afghanistan on Friday. These were the first such deportations since the Taliban regained power in 2021. Austria plans to work closely with Germany on joint deportations to Afghanistan.
Chancellor Karl Nehammer confirmed that the Austrian Interior Minister has been in discussions with his German counterpart for a long time. “The next step is to deport people directly to Afghanistan or Syria,” Nehammer stated. Austria is already deporting Afghans and Syrians, he added.
Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner welcomed Germany’s decision, calling it “very good.” In March, he emphasized the need for EU-wide discussions to reassess the ban on deportations to Afghanistan and Syria, labeling it “necessary and urgent.”
“Currently, repatriating anyone to countries like Syria or Afghanistan is against EU law,” Karner said in Brussels in March. “In Austria, these two countries account for about three-quarters of all asylum applications.”
Austria’s Federal Office for Immigration and Asylum reiterated that deportations to Afghanistan are allowed on a case-by-case basis, following the changed security situation. In July, the Constitutional Court upheld this assessment by the immigration authorities.
The Ministry and the Federal Office for Foreign Affairs are actively working on implementing deportations to Afghanistan. Talks are ongoing with several European countries to facilitate this process.
Minister Karner expressed satisfaction with the new development, stating, “The fact that deportations to Afghanistan are possible again is something Austria has been advocating for a long time. I am very pleased that this is happening. It is crucial that we resume deportations to Afghanistan and Syria.”
Austria’s decision aligns with Germany’s, marking a significant shift in European deportation policies.
