Kabul

The consulate general in the Munich suburb of Grünwald is one of only five foreign missions in Europe known to the Taliban. The result: Afghans from all over Germany can only settle their passport issues there.

On this cloudy October morning, there is a lot of activity here in the northern part of Grünwald, where cars run past the town through to and back to Munich. Behind a tall white wall is a charming little town that attracts attention elsewhere. However, this is not the case in Grünwald – the home of wealthy citizens.

Many of the city’s visitors seem to come from far away: there are car license plates on the side of the road coming from all over Germany. The reason for your arrival: The city – as it says on a golden sign at the entrance – is the consulate general of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.

In 2012, Afghanistan opened its consulate in the listed city. This is owned by the Free State of Bavaria and was formerly the home of the Consul General of the Netherlands. According to Mayor Jan Neusiedl (CSU), people in the community of 11,000 have now become accustomed to the fact that Afghanistan, torn by wars and conflicts, has a foreign mission in Grünwald of all places .

But this serenity seems to be over. There are increasing complaints about the behavior of Afghans who are waiting in front of the consulate. Residents complained at a citizens’ meeting about parking chaos and dangerous movement on the street. They also blamed visitors to the consulate for rampant littering and urination.

And of course the population has increased significantly in the past months. The reason for this lies in the capital of Afghanistan, Kabul. The Taliban there – they have been in power again since August 2021 – announced a few months ago that they would no longer work with several foreign missions in Europe.

The reason given by a spokesman at the time was that actions were being carried out “uncoordinated, arbitrarily and contrary to the relevant principles”. In Germany, this affects the embassy in Berlin and the consulate general in Bonn, whose passports, visas and other documents are no longer recognized by the Taliban. The regime in Kabul only accepts embassies in Spain, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic and the Netherlands – as well as the consulate in Grünwald – as legitimate representations in Europe.

“Anyone who followed the news knew there would be more volume here,” said Mayor Neusiedl. In fact, until the Taliban changed course, the consulate in Grünwald was only responsible for Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. However, Afghans from all over Germany and even from Austria, Switzerland, Belgium and France are now flowing into the suburbs of Munich.

At the citizens’ meeting, a representative from the police station in Grünwald confirmed that the traffic in front of the Consulate General had increased significantly. Complaints have also been received about chaotic conditions. According to the mayor, the police contacted the consulate. “And they have agreed to put away the garbage in the evening and they may want to set up toilets,” Neusiedl said. “Apparently the police there were open to hearing it.”

The Consulate General does not wish to speak to the media. Meanwhile, a Taliban spokesman said in an interview with Deutsche Welle about the foreign mission in Grünwald: “They are responsible and they carry out our orders. ” Apparently the consulate seems to have a good connection with the Taliban and follow their instructions.

However, it seems that the people in Grünwald only care about this to a small extent. And even in the town hall, Jan Neusiedl simply says: “It certainly won’t work in the long run that the consulate is responsible for such a large area. But everything else, according to the mayor, “is high politics.”