Thursday, August 12, 2021
Waiting for security report
Asylum applications from Afghans have been suspended for the time being
Because of the Taliban’s advance, Afghan criminals are no longer allowed to be deported for the time being. While that affects only a few people, asylum applications are about 10,000 applications this year alone. Here, too, there is now a moratorium until the security situation has been reassessed.
One day after the deportation stop for rejected Afghan asylum seekers, the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (Bamf) is also suspending all decisions on asylum applications from Afghans for the time being. That reported the “Spiegel” with reference to the Federal Ministry of the Interior. The authority is now waiting for the new situation report from the Foreign Office, which will assess the significantly deteriorated security situation in the civil war country.
According to the magazine, around 10,000 Afghans have already applied for asylum to the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees this year. The so-called protection rate is therefore almost 40 percent. The recognition rate could increase due to the tightened security situation.
Federal Interior Minister Horst Seehofer only decided on Wednesday afternoon that deportations to Afghanistan would be suspended for the time being. Previously, Seehofer had insisted for days that he wanted to continue to deport offenders, in particular, to the Hindu Kush. With this, his department completed a 180 degree U-turn within a few hours. In the morning his spokesman had said: “The BMI is still of the opinion that there are people in Germany who should leave the country – as soon as possible.” According to the ministry, there are currently almost 30,000 Afghans who are required to leave Germany. However, since 2016 only 1,000 migrants have been sent back, mostly criminals.
Taliban advance on Kabul
The Federal Foreign Office is currently preparing a new situation report for Afghanistan, which is a main basis for decisions on asylum procedures and on deportations. The last report is from July, but is now out of date due to the withdrawal of international troops and the advance of the Taliban. Only then could a final decision on deportations be made, according to the Interior Ministry.
The Islamists are now moving ever closer to the capital Kabul. The government forces have now lost control of most of the north and west of Afghanistan. In the afternoon, the Taliban captured Herat, the eleventh provincial capital, within a week.
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