A group of 125 Afghan citizens arrived to Afghanistan this morning from Germany with the support of the Afghan and German governments.
“Today, 125 Afghan citizens return to Afghanistan: After a difficult way to Germany in the hands of people smugglers they realized that their future is in Afghanistan and that they are needed in their home country,” according to an official statement.
The statement further added that the cost of the return of the Afghan citizens has been covered by the government of Germany.
The returnees will also receive a small reitegration support in cooperation with the International Organization for Migrant (IOM), the statement said, adding that Germany and Afghanistan continue to jointly fight people smuggling.
This comes as reports emerged in mid December last year suggesting over 320 Afghan migrants based in Germany have applied for voluntary repatriation to Afghanistan.
The Afghan Ambassador based in Berlin Hamid Sediqi quoted in a report by state-run Deutsche Welle international broadcaster said the number of Afghan migrants applying for voluntary repatriation is on the rise.
He said over 320 Afghan migrants have applied to Afghan consulates in Munich and Bonn as well as in the Afghan Embassy in Berlin to obtain passports so that they can travel back to Afghanistan.
Sediq further added that the Afghan Embassy and Consulates will charge Euro 120 against each passport by ascertaining their identity first; however he said they will issue the passports free of charge if they applicants did not have enough funds.
According to Sediq, majority of the applicants applying for voluntary repatriation are between 15 to 25 years of age and majority of them are keen to return to Afghanistan since they find living in Germany in contrast to their expectations and what they had heard before travelling to Germany.
