Uzbekistan is facilitating conditions for Germany by accepting Afghan refugees

In late May, a German delegation, led by Interior Minister Nancy Feser, visited Tashkent to negotiate a migration and deportation agreement, as reported by Bloomberg.

The plan involves deporting a limited number of Afghans, who were denied asylum in Germany, to Uzbekistan. Tashkent would then facilitate their return to Afghanistan.

These refugees arrived in Germany under a special migration program initiated by the German government in mid-August 2021, following the withdrawal of international troops and the Taliban's rise to power in Afghanistan.

The deportations to Kabul will be managed by a private airline, allowing Germany to circumvent negotiations with the Taliban. Germany refuses to engage with the Taliban, whom it does not recognize as the legitimate government of Afghanistan, citing human rights violations. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, during a 2022 visit to Pakistan, urged the international community to push for changes within the Taliban regime.

Uzbekistan is currently reviewing Germany's proposal but has set its own conditions. Tashkent seeks the inclusion of a bilateral agreement that would enable the legal migration of skilled Uzbek workers to Germany.