The Austrian Interior Ministry is continuing deportations to Afghanistan, if not exactly at breakneck speed. Early Sunday morning, a man convicted of drug-related crimes was deported back to his homeland. This marks the second deportation to Afghanistan since the Taliban regained power.
The Ministry has stepped up deportations in recent months, also returning Somali and Syrian nationals for the first time in decades. Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) emphasised that further deportations are planned to both Afghanistan and Syria.
The man, convicted in March for attempting to sell drugs in Vienna, was transported to Kabul via Istanbul under the supervision of Austrian police. Despite increased deportations, Austria has continued to approve Afghan asylum applications, with nearly 4,000 accepted in the first three quarters of the year and a recognition rate of 76%.
