The Taliban say they are willing to cooperate with Germany on the deportation of Afghan asylum seekers in exchange for reestablishing consular services in the country, according to a spokesperson for the group’s Foreign Ministry. The statement follows a deadly car attack in Munich last week involving an Afghan migrant, which has reignited debates over immigration policies in Germany.
"We have shown that we are ready to reestablish consular services for Afghans in Germany which would cover all aspects of migration," the spokesperson told the German news agency DW. However, the Taliban stated they would not allow deportations via third countries like Pakistan, arguing that such actions would violate international agreements.
The offer comes after a tragic incident in Munich, where 24-year-old Afghan asylum seeker Farhad Noori drove a vehicle into a crowd of demonstrators. The attack, which police suspect was religiously motivated, resulted in the deaths of a 37-year-old mother and her two-year-old daughter. The woman had been participating in a protest for workers’ rights.
Munich Mayor Dieter Reiter called the attack "brutal" and confirmed that the mother was an employee of the city. "Unfortunately, the worst fears have come true," he said, according to German media outlet BR24. "My thoughts are with the family of the murdered woman and her relatives and friends."
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz also reacted to the attack, posting on X: "I am deeply shocked and saddened by the death of the small child and the woman who succumbed to their injuries after the attack in Munich."
US Vice President JD Vance referenced the incident at the Munich Security Conference, calling it an example of the dangers of uncontrolled mass migration.
"Of all the pressing challenges that the nations represented here face, I believe there is nothing more urgent than mass migration today," he said.