BERLIN, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- Germany will no longer deport Afghan refugees to their home country unless they are convicted criminals and terror suspects, the RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland (RND) reported Wednesday.
The move reflects concerns over the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan.
German Interior Ministry and Foreign Office have arrived at an agreement to only send refugees back to Afghanistan in exceptional circumstances which includes individuals who have "persistently refused to allow their identification."
The report confirms a significantly softened deportation regime for Afghans which have unofficially already been in place since the German Embassy in Kabul became the target of a devastating terrorist attack in May.
Deportations to Afghanistan are a source of controversy in Germany where Angela Merkel's (CDU) government has adopted a stricter stance on migration since the arrival of over one million refugees in 2015.
While several politicians have called for authorities to speed up deportations after a spate of terrorist attacks in Germany, officials are also increasingly concerned with the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan.
The radical Islamist Taliban have reclaimed large swaths of the country and are locked in permanent violent conflict with the U.S.-backed government in Kabul.
The RND cited 10,000 Afghan refugees in Germany who were duty bound to leave the country on June 30. The figure marked a drop of roughly 5,000 individuals compared to the previous year.
The German Federal Government revealed in April that approximately 255,000 Afghans are currently living in Germany.
