"Deportee Central" – a seedy hotel in downtown Kabul

The lobby of Spinzar Hotel in downtown Kabul.

Even in times of war and pandemic, refugees are still being deported to Afghanistan. Several deportation flights have taken place in recent weeks alone. Since those affected often have nothing to go back to, many of them end up in a seedy hotel in downtown Kabul. Emran Feroz reports from the Afghan capital

By Emran Feroz

The Spinzar Hotel is located in the heart of the Afghan capital Kabul. Near the bustling main street is the old bazaar, the Bagh-e Omomi bridge and the famous Mosque of the King of Two Swords. Many people stroll past the hotel without noticing the building. It appears unremarkable and rather dilapidated, like so many other buildings in the neighbourhood. A literal translation of "Spinzar" would be "white gold", although – nowadays at least – there’s none of that in evidence.

Everyday life at the Spinzar seems rather dreary. A security guard sits languidly out front. He barely bothers to frisk the few visitors that approach the entrance. The receptionist is engrossed in his mobile phone. Occasionally, if someone asks for a guest, he’ll call them up. The lobby, with its fusty furniture, is mostly empty. The dining room looks as though it is never used.

This is the place where deported Afghan refugees from all over the world end up – several times a week. Over the last few days alone, deportees from Germany, Austria and Iran checked into the Spinzar – against their will. For those deported, the hotel is their first step back into a new, old life. It is no coincidence that of all places, they should end up here.

For about five years, the Spinzar has been working with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM). Many of the 'guests' are not genuine travellers, but desperate people with nowhere to go in Kabul. "Not long ago, a young man committed suicide in the hotel following his deportation. For many it was the first indication of what’s actually going on here,” says a bookseller who works nearby.

The entrance to Hotel Spinzar in downtown Kabul (photo: Emran Feroz) — Manager of the Spinzar Hotel Abdul Karim Rahimzai has got to know many deportees since taking over the business. He does not approve of the actions of the governments responsible. "Afghanistan is one of the deadliest countries in the world. Do you think I want to be here?"

A mutually beneficial arrangement

The hotel profits from its co-operation with the IOM. Not that the staff are playing down the problems of the deportees. "We don’t support their deportation. They took huge risks to flee the war. That in the end they have been brought back, that’s painful for us too," says Jawed Noori, who has worked as a receptionist at the Spinzar for 11 years. He says that most of the refugees accommodated at the hotel in recent weeks and months have come from Germany and Austria.

Noori says that many of the deportees have psychological problems and often succumb to drug addiction. A few days ago, he experienced a dramatic scene when a deportee showed up at the hotel sobbing and covered in blood. The man claimed to have been roughed up by German officials at the airport. "He had a wife and child in Germany; he was forcibly put on a plane. A short time later, it all turned out to be a mistake. Now he’s back in Germany. That’s totally crazy and inhumane," says Noori.There have been suicide attacks and other bombings close to the hotel in recent months. After all, it is not far from the Afghan foreign ministry, other government institutions and military installations regularly targeted by militant groups. Usually during attacks of this kind, it is only civilian infrastructure that is affected. "There hasn’t been an attack on the hotel yet, but we live in terror of something happening every day. It has become part of life," says the hotel chef. Another problem in Kabul is the high crime rate.

A night at the Spinzar including meals costs 1,000 Afghani, or just over 10 euros. The bill is picked up by the IOM, although the balance is deducted from the money deportees receive from the organisation following their return, a payment aimed at helping them get back on their feet. Those termed "voluntary returnees" receive more cash than those brought back completely against their will. But on the whole, the sums in question are just a few hundred euros – and that doesn’t go very far in any case.

Afghanistan expert and co-director of the Afghanistan Analysts Network Thomas Ruttig (photo: picture-alliance/dpa/AAN) — Arguments that hold little water: there is scant justification – legal or otherwise – for deportation being used as a 'de facto' additional penalty measure. "Research conducted by both the German broadcaster NDR and by refugee councils shows that the deportees are often petty criminals at most, sometimes they've even served their sentence," criticises Thomas Ruttig, co-director of the Afghanistan Analysts Network. Moreover, the information provided by the German government and other participating European authorities is patchy and hard to come by. "This indicates they have something to hide," Ruttig adds

"We want to help as much as possible, but our hands are tied," says hotel manager Abdul Karim Rahimzai. He took over the Spinzar about three years ago. The hotel has had many owners in recent decades. It was built in the mid-20th century and used to belong to the Spinzar Cotton Company, founded in the 1930s by the Afghan national bank. Back then, the Spinzar was still public property.

Rahimzai has got to know many deportees since taking over the business. He does not approve of the actions of the governments responsible for the deportations. "Of course, there’s a war on here. Afghanistan is one of the deadliest countries in the world. Do you think I want to be here?" he asks sarcastically.

European countries claim to be repelling criminals

Thomas Ruttig, co-director of the think tank Afghanistan Analysts Network, is critical of the deportations to Afghanistan. "Germany and Austria claim they are repelling criminals. But research such as that conducted by both the German broadcaster NDR and, in individual cases, by refugee councils shows that the deportees are often petty criminals at most, sometimes they’ve even served their sentence." There is scant justification – legal or otherwise – for deportation being used as a de facto additional penalty measure.

Ruttig criticises the information policy of the German government and other participating European authorities as patchy and hard to come by. "This indicates they have something to hide. Only the worst examples are highlighted, for example men convicted of sex crimes. In the public consciousness this then extends to the whole group," he adds.

The precarious security situation in Kabul and large areas of Afghanistan is due to the uncertain future prospects for the country’s government. Almost a year ago in the Gulf emirate of Qatar, the U.S. signed a withdrawal agreement with the Taliban. Since then, the number of remaining U.S. troops has shrunk to around 3,500. Violence in the country continues to escalate. The U.N. says that in 2020, at least 3,035 Afghans were killed and a further 5,785 injured.

The Taliban bear responsibility for most of the deaths. There has been a marked increase in targeted attacks on journalists, activists, religious leaders and other public figures in recent weeks and months. The government in Kabul is also being held partly responsible for the escalation. Deportations are still going ahead despite the volatility. In 2016, the E.U. signed a deportation deal with the Afghan government that was recently renewed.

It remains to be seen how the situation in Afghanistan will develop with the complete withdrawal of foreign troops announced by Joe Biden and NATO last week, scheduled for completion by 11 September 2021. What stance will Europe adopt towards Afghans seeking asylum in future?

Emran Feroz

Translated from the German by Nina Coon