Germany has struck a deal with Uzbekistan, one that’s bound to raise eyebrows. Chancellor Olaf Scholz proudly announced that the agreement will allow skilled workers from Uzbekistan to migrate to Germany, supposedly to “boost the economy.” Germany’s economy now rests on the shoulders of Central Asian talent. Scholz made this grand declaration after meeting with Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in the historic city of Samarkand.
According to Scholz, this deal will enable the “necessary” immigration of these skilled workers, because Germany, a country of over 80 million, suddenly can’t find enough homegrown talent. Scholz wants us to believe that this influx of workers is all in the name of economic growth. How convenient! But the deal isn’t just about welcoming new arrivals. Scholz added, in his typically vague manner, that they’ve also arranged “simple, unbureaucratic procedures” for returning some immigrants.
Amidst the talk of skilled labor, there’s a less publicized angle to this agreement: deportations. Scholz didn’t address the swirling rumors that this deal could also involve sending Afghans, convicted criminals, no less—back to their homeland. It’s almost as if the German government is trying to play both sides, welcoming immigrants with one hand and deporting them with the other.
The reason to all this? Regional elections in Germany, where migration is unsurprisingly a hot topic. Just days before these elections, the German government announced that it had resumed deportations of convicted Afghan criminals. Berlin had paused these deportations after the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in 2021, citing human rights concerns. But it seems that election season has caused a change of heart.
German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser, who was also present at the meeting, signed off on the Uzbekistan deal. She’s planning more flights to send serious offenders back to Afghanistan. The catch? Germany doesn’t even have direct relations with the Taliban government. The deportation flight in August was mediated by Qatar, so apparently, diplomatic gymnastics are part of the plan.
