"These were Afghan nationals, all of whom were convicted offenders who had no right to stay in Germany and against whom deportation orders had been issued," government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said in a statement, according to France 24.
Germany does not have diplomatic relations with the Taliban, requiring the government to work through other channels.
A chartered Qatar Airways flight bound for Kabul took off from Leipzig airport just before 0500 GMT with 28 Afghans on board, Der Spiegel magazine said, citing security sources.
The operation was the result of two months of "secret negotiations" in which Qatar acted as the go-between between Berlin and the Taliban authorities, Spiegel reported.
Each deportee was given €1,000 before the flight, according to Afghan news reports.
Hebestreit said Germany had "asked key regional partners for support in order to facilitate the deportations", without giving more details.
Germany completely stopped deportations to Afghanistan and closed its embassy in Kabul following the Taliban administration taking power in 2021.
Earlier, in June 2024, the Taliban interim government in Afghanistan had reacted to Berlin's decision to deport Afghan nationals. Abdul Qahar Balkhi, spokesperson for the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, expressed concern over Germany's decision, hoping that both countries could resolve the issue diplomatically to protect citizens' rights.
The Taliban government urged German authorities to manage this issue through proper consular channels and bilateral agreements to avoid returning Afghan nationals to uncertain or unsafe conditions.
Germany's Interior Minister, Nancy Faeser, called for stricter measures against migrants following the fatal stabbing of a police officer by an Afghan refugee in early June 2024. She emphasized that migrants posing a threat to Germany's security would be deported to their home countries.
SD/PR
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