German government nears deal with Taliban on deportations The German government is maintaining its tough stance on the deportation of rejected asylum seekers to Afghanistan. Critics say promises made to former personnel now at risk of reprisals should be honored.

(Deutsche Welle) Despite strongly worded criticism from numerous aid organizations, the German government has now confirmed a report in the mass-circulation newspaper Bild that envoys of Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt are holding talks in Afghanistan with the ruling Islamist Taliban about deportations from Germany.

“We want to facilitate proper and regular repatriations to Afghanistan,” Dobrindt, of the conservative Christian Social Union (CSU), told dpa. Discussions are underway “with Afghan representatives” on this matter.

German officials met with Taliban representatives at the beginning of September in the Qatari capital, Doha, to discuss establishing a formal mechanism for deportations.

Representatives of Qatar will serve as mediators, as is customary in many other cases.

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