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Germany, Netherlands suspend deportations to Afghanistan

Nearly 30,000 Afghans in Germany were slated for deportation

afghanistan-oxygen-cylinders-covid-ap Men wait outside a privately owned oxygen factory to get their oxygen cylinders refilled, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Saturday, June 19, 2021. Health officials say Afghanistan is fast running out of oxygen as a deadly third surge of COVID worsen | AP

Germany, on Wednesday, said it will temporarily stop deportations to Afghanistan due to the unstable security situation, the German Interior Ministry told DW.

Taliban has been making massive territorial gains across Afghanistan-- the militant group in the last week has managed to gain control over nine other provincial capitals around the country, mostly in the north-eastern border.

The Netherlands have also said that they have stopped forced repatriations to Afghanistan due to the increase in violence in the country. 

German Interior Ministry on Wednesday said it might still be possible to deport Afghan asylum seekers-- nearly 30,000 Afghans in Germany were slated to be deported. 

While the Netherlands has said that it would halt deportations for 12 months, Germany hasn't mentioned a time frame. 

Ankie Broekers-Knol, the state secretary in the Dutch Justice Ministry, said that the Dutch Foreign Ministry was reassessing the security situation in Afghanistan to make its final decision.

Finland, Sweden and Norway had recently announced that they are suspending deportations to Afghanistan.

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