Afghan diplomat seeks asylum in Germany
November 12, 2018
An Afghan Foreign Ministry spokesman told DW on Monday that Azimullah Sahaag, who had recently applied for asylum in Germany, worked as "the acting consul for a period of time" at the Afghan consulate in Munich but was originally employed as the "first secretary" at the Afghan diplomatic mission.
According to the spokesman "diplomats who apply for asylum in foreign countries after the end of their mission are not allowed to work for the government in any capacity."
German authorities said last week that Sahaag had not returned to Afghanistan after his period of service at the consulate in Munich ended, citing security concerns.
Instead, he walked into a police station to apply for asylum. His application was forwarded to Germany's refugee agency, BAMF, which will now set a date for a hearing.
More problems for Horst Seehofer
His case could turn into a political headache for Germany, in particular for under-fire Interior Minister Horst Seehofer, who has stepped up efforts to deport rejected applicants to Afghanistan. In its assessment in July, the German Foreign Ministry declared that despite the ongoing "volatility," the security situation in Afghanistan had improved in certain areas. According to the Interior Ministry 228 Afghan asylum seekers have been deported so far this year.
Read more: How do deportations work in Germany?
Nonetheless, these deportations remain controversial. Only three of Germany's 16 states have expanded their practices, while the majority have severe restrictions and caveats on deportations in place.
In 2013 around 100 Afghan diplomats refused to return to Afghanistan after the end of their spells abroad, including some based in Germany. Germany's refugee agency says it's unable to confirm whether any other Afghan diplomats have applied for asylum in Germany as job descriptions are not statistically recorded.
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