Der Spiegel: Thousands of Afghan refugees in Germany claim to belong to Taliban
Several thousands of refugees from Afghanistan, who have arrived in Germany since 2015, claim that they had contact with the Taliban or fought for the Taliban. The weekly newspaper Der Spiegel reported this on Saturday, April 22, with reference to a letter from the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAM) to the German intelligence service.
The Federal Prosecutor’s Office is examining more than 70 cases, and six people are in investigative isolation, the publication specifies.
It is not clear whether or not the refugees are actually former Taliban fighters. The German officials assume that several of them hope to improve their chances of receiving asylum in Germany by claiming to be former Taliban members.
In Afghanistan, belonging to the Taliban carries the death penalty.