Afghan Asylum Seekers Deported From Germany Arrive In Kabul

Afghan refugees deported from Germany on a previous repatriation flight arrive at the international airport in Kabul. (file photo)

A group of 26 rejected asylum seekers arrived in Kabul early on January 13 after being deported from Germany, airport officials said.

The chartered flight landed at 7 a.m. local time. It marked the 35th deportation flight from Germany to Afghanistan since December 2016. A total of 963 failed asylum seekers have been sent back to Afghanistan since then.

The last deportation flight from Germany was in December.

Other European countries have also resumed deportation flights.

The deportations have been deeply controversial, with critics saying the war-torn country is too dangerous to send asylum seekers back to.

Almost daily attacks by Taliban militants are taking a toll on civilians in the country.

Despite the start of peace talks, the conflict between the Taliban and the Afghan government continues and the security situation is deteriorating.

Afghanistan has been the scene of regular clashes and targeted killings across much of the country lately, and bomb and rocket attacks now occur almost daily in the capital.

In addition, the coronavirus pandemic has further worsened Afghans' living conditions. The U.N. warns that 5 million more Afghans will be in need of help this year due to the pandemic and conflict.