Parts of Afghan population in danger, says German report

DPA Berlin Repression, death and persecution are all dangers faced by many Afghans in the wake of the country’s takeover by the militant Taliban, according...

DPABerlinRepression, death and persecution are all dangers faced by many Afghans in the wake of the country’s takeover by the militant Taliban, according to a situation report drawn up by the German Foreign Ministry.In particular, people in cities and former government employees and security forces are experiencing a “massive curtailment of their fundamental rights and freedoms” and must fear retaliation, according to the confidential report of the Geman Foreign Ministry, which DPA has seen.By contrast, people’s lives had not changed all that much in some rural areas, which had already been controlled by the Taliban for years, according to the report.It includes accounts of house searches, arbitrary arrests, forced disappearances and executions, particularly targeting the groups mentioned earlier as well as political opponents of the Taliban and representatives of civil society and their families.The Foreign Office prepares regular reports on the situation in the countries of origin of asylum seekers in Germany.They are designed to help the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) as well as courts and internal authorities in decision-making about peoples’ status.This is relevant for decisions about asylum applications, but also about deportations.The current Afghanistan report is only a “snapshot,” the Foreign Ministry pointed out in introductory remarks.The German embassy in Afghanistan was closed down when the Taliban came to power in the middle of August, as did the diplomatic missions of numerous other countries.The authors now have to rely on information from human rights groups, international organisations and media reports, among other sources.