In a strategic move to avoid direct dealings with the Taliban, Germany is engaged in discussions with Uzbekistan regarding a potential migration pact that could involve the repatriation of Afghan asylum seekers. Insiders familiar with the plan disclosed that Chancellor Olaf Scholz is advocating for a more rigorous immigration approach, including the expulsion of criminal asylum seekers to conflict-ridden regions like Afghanistan and Syria. This initiative comes in response to a series of recent violent incidents and the growing influence of far-right populism within Germany.
Under the proposed pact, Uzbekistan would accommodate a limited number of Afghan asylum seekers rejected by Germany for deportation. These individuals would then be transferred to neighboring Afghanistan through the assistance of a private airline offering flights to Kabul. Alongside this arrangement, the Uzbek government is also looking to establish reciprocal regulations that would facilitate the legal migration of skilled workers from Uzbekistan to Germany, enhancing bilateral cooperation in the process.
Interior Minister Nancy Faeser, a key figure within Scholz's center-left Social Democrats, dispatched officials to Tashkent in late May for initial negotiations on the migration and deportation pact. Further discussions will be led by Joachim Stamp, the German government's special representative for migration agreements, during an upcoming visit to Uzbekistan.
Although the German Interior Ministry refrained from commenting on the ongoing discussions, reports from Der Spiegel magazine and DPA news agency have shed light on the evolving situation. Following a tragic incident involving an Afghan asylum seeker's fatal attack on a German policeman, Chancellor Scholz underlined the necessity of deporting criminals to both Taliban-governed Afghanistan and war-torn Syria during a parliamentary address on June 6.
Expressing determination to uphold law and order, Scholz emphasized, "Serious criminals and terrorist threats have no place here," while revealing that the interior ministry is actively exploring the practical implementation of deportations and engaging in talks with neighboring countries of Afghanistan. The decision to resume deportations to Afghanistan marks a shift in policy, as Germany had previously suspended such actions following the Taliban's resurgence in the summer of 2021.