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A charter flight carrying twenty six Afghans deported from Germany landed in Kabul earlier this week, despite protests that Afghanistan isn't a safe country.
Among the hundreds of thousands of Afghans seeking asylum in Germany, many are worried that they may no longer be safe. Ira Spitzer reports from Berlin.
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VO#1 - These Afghan refugees are hard at work learning German. But for many, it's been hard to focus on integration when they've been thinking about something else lately: Deportation. Mohammed Anbar Afshar is a an Afghan refugee.
SOT, Mohammed Anbar Afshar, Afghan refugee
"We have been in Germany for about one year and two months. We are very upset. We are living in stressful conditions."
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Mohammed has already had his asylum application rejected, which means deportation is a real risk if his appeal fails. Last month the German government flew a charter plane to Kabul with thirty four Afghans, whose application for asylum had been rejected. Over a hundred thousand Afghans applied for asylum in Germany last year, the second largest group after Syrians.
VO#3 Since the German government recently declared parts of Afghanistan safe, Afghan refugees aren't fast-tracked like Syrians. And proving they fled war or persecution can be difficult.The Taliban controls close to half of Afghanistan, making it one of the most dangerous countries in the world. Here's Ibrahim Ibrahimi, an Afghan refugee in Germany.
SOT, Ibrahim Ibrahimi, Afghan refugee
"Those who came to Germany, ran away from their home because of the Taliban and Daesh. They are worried about returning to Afghanistan, because they and their family might be killed.
VO#4 A second flight carrying 26 afghans arrived in kabul in January. The first batch of forced returnees had all committed crimes in Germany, but the flights are intended to send a signal to others think twice about seeking asylum in Germany. Here's Bernward Ostrop, an advocacy officer at Berlin Caritas.
SOT, Bernward Ostrop, Advocacy Officer, Berlin Caritas
"The problem with these signals is that the Afghan community in Germany is in a very difficult situation. Because they don't know their rights sometimes and they fear, with rumors starting, that they might start mass deportations."
VO#5 Deportation has become a major topic in Germany in the wake of last month's terror attack at a Berlin Christmas markeThe attacker was a Tunisian, who the authorities failed to deport.
Politicians have vowed promised to get tougher… And that has many Afghan refugees worried. Ira Spitzer, Berlin
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