Germany has temporarily suspended deportation flights to Afghanistan following an explosion that killed at least 80 people and injured more than 350 in the Afghan capital Kabul.
A German official confirmed there would no collective deportations to the country in the next few days, but said the policy of deporting Afghan migrants who do not qualify as refugees still remains.
The official said: “The employees [at the embassy in Kabul] have more important things to do than to prepare the organisational measures needed. Therefore there will be no collective deportations to Afghanistan in the next few days.
“But it is and remains the case that deportations must be carried out according to our laws. This principle applies to Afghanistan, especially for criminals, and we will continue to go down this path."
The interior ministry could not immediately comment.
In December, Germany began carrying out group deportations of Afghans as the government sought to show it was tackling the high number of migrants by removing those who do not qualify as refugees.
Abdul Ghafoor, director of Afghanistan Migrants Advice and Support Organisation, which helps returnees to the country, welcomed the decision and urged sending Afghans back to the "war-torn country" was a "waste of money".
“This incident today, which damaged part of the German embassy, shows Afghanistan is a not suitable place to deport people to,” Mr Ghafoor told The Independent.
“I have been saying for a while that deportation to Afghanistan doesn’t make any sense. If you look at the security situation, what happens is either returnees become victims to one of the attacks, or they leave the country again as soon as they can.
“It’s a waste of money on both sides to send people back to a war-torn country. And the tragic incident today is a clear indication of this.”
