Germany: Afghanistan’s consulates pose threat to refugees

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Deutsche Welle, 1 February 2026

AAN’s Thomas Ruttig was interviewed by German public international broadcaster Deutsche Welle for a report on its website on concerns raised by Afghan refugees over Germany’s accreditation of Taleban officials at Afghan consulates, which many fear will force them to engage with the regime they fled in order to obtain passports and other documents. Ruttig questioned the logic behind Germany’s decision, describing it as “needlessly careless,” and stressed that alternative diplomatic options were available and points to the German governments’ declared priority to deport more people:

The push to deport more people, according to Thomas Ruttig, former co-director of the international Afghanistan Analysts Network, gave the Taliban the necessary leverage to change consulate staff.

Ruttig thinks Germany has been needlessly careless in allowing the Taliban to take over the consulates and doesn’t believe the German Foreign Ministry was obliged to accredit whichever officials were sent from Kabul.

“In diplomacy and international law, there are always options,” he told DW. “We see that in other countries. I think this whole move is motivated by one priority followed by the German government: Large-scale deportations to Afghanistan.”