Weidel slams Merz over ‘show’ deportation flight to Kabul as over 11,000 Afghans earmarked for deportation remain in Germany
Germany’s deportation policy remains symbolic as thousands of Afghans under expulsion orders remain in the country, says AfD co-leader Alice Weidel
Alternative for Germany (AfD) co-leader Alice Weidel has accused German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s government of political theater after just 81 Afghan nationals were deported to Kabul, despite over 11,000 Afghans still officially required to leave Germany.
At 8:35 a.m. on Friday, a Qatar Airways Airbus A330-200 took off from Leipzig Airport carrying 81 Afghan men convicted of crimes including theft, drug dealing, and assault.
According to Bild, the flight was quietly organized by the federal government and departed under tight secrecy to avoid disruption by left-wing protesters. Passengers were brought in from multiple deportation centers across Germany.
Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt declared the operation a success and described it as part of the governing coalition’s shift in migration policy. “There is no right of residence for serious criminals in our country,” he said. Deportations to Afghanistan, he added, must be able to “take place safely” in the future.
But critics were quick to denounce the move as inadequate. AfD co-chair Alice Weidel wrote on X: “Every year again: 81 criminals are deported to Kabul in a show of deportation, while 11,000 other Afghans who are required to leave the country remain there for the time being. And Merz spouts empty phrases at the summer press conference. Migration turnaround? Only with the AfD!”
Alle Jahre wieder: Show-Abschiebung nach Kabul für 81 Kriminelle, elftausend weitere ausreisepflichtige Afghanen bleiben erst mal da. Und Merz drischt leere Phrasen in der Sommerpressekonferenz. Migrationswende? Nur mit der AfD!https://t.co/hJXVzwRzBU
— Alice Weidel (@Alice_Weidel) July 18, 2025
According to the Central Register of Foreigners, as of June 30, 2025, 11,172 Afghan nationals who are under orders to leave remain in Germany, including 9,462 whose deportations are temporarily suspended. While this is a decline from 29,245 in 2020, critics argue that progress is cosmetic and far too slow.
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