A delegation from the Afghan Taliban regime has held talks with the Austrian Interior Ministry in Vienna to help identify Afghans who are scheduled for deportation. The cooperation, which the Interior Ministry describes as “necessary” for the deportation of criminals, has been sharply criticized by human rights organizations.
According to reports, at least one Taliban representative was in Vienna on an official visit. / Picture: © Wikimedia Commons /Callum Darragh/ CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication
According to reports available to Asylkoordination, as reported by DerStandard, at least 19 Afghans were presented to representatives of the Taliban administration at the Simmering prison and the Hernals police detention center for identification. A spokesperson for Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) confirmed the talks and cooperation with the “operational Afghan administration” and emphasized that this was part of a “credible asylum policy.”
This administrative assistance from Kabul reportedly took place for the first time after an Austrian official had already traveled to Afghanistan at the beginning of the year to establish contact with the administration there. According to the Interior Ministry, the Taliban representatives’ entry into Austria was “lawful,” even though the regime in Kabul is not recognized internationally, including by Austria. Only Russia has so far recognized the Taliban government as the legitimate government de facto.
Criticism and international comparison
Asylkoordination condemns the cooperation with the Taliban as a “taboo breach,” especially since the meeting coincided with the anniversary of the September 11 attacks. Lukas Gahleitner-Gertz of Asylkoordination also pointed out that the cooperation could have asylum consequences for those affected. The Afghan ambassador to Austria, Manizha Bakhtari, who is considered an opponent of the Taliban, had already announced in August that she would resign from her post if Austria cooperated with representatives of the regime, as reported by DerStandard.
Austria’s approach is in line with similar efforts in other European countries. Germany, for example, has already carried out deportations to Afghanistan. According to various media reports, the German government resumed charter flights to deport Afghan citizens who had committed crimes for the first time since the Taliban took power in August 2021. The most recent such flight took place in August 2024, followed by another in June 2025 with 81 people.
These deportations are highly controversial. Human rights organizations such as Amnesty International and PRO ASYL sharply criticize the repatriations, as the security situation in Afghanistan remains precarious and human rights violations by the Taliban regime are commonplace. The question of how deportations can be carried out without direct diplomatic contacts with the Taliban regime also remains unanswered.