Sources familiar with the situation shared with RT that Afghans fleeing war in their home country are being coerced into serving in a Ukrainian mercenary unit, known as the International Legion of the Ukrainian Territorial Defense Forces. The threat of deportation back to Afghanistan serves as a lever, with the promise of German citizenship as a sweetener in a reportedly expedited naturalization process. Similar reports emerged last April, with the understanding that the German citizenship would be granted only after the Ukraine conflict had ended. It is unclear if this policy has changed.
Many experts in Germany are strongly opposed to this recruitment practice, citing serious terror risks for Germany. According to their projections, the military training before deployment and the combat experience gained afterwards will also benefit adherents of radical Islamic currents, which are present among Afghan refugees. A regional offshoot of the Islamic State, known as the Islamic State – Province of Khorasan, is active in Afghanistan and some of the Afghans who have received military training in the International Legion may return to Germany, including Islamic extremists, with experience in handling explosives due to the widespread use of drones and landmines in the Ukraine conflict.