Germany suspends deportations after Kabul blast

Germany's Interior Ministry says deportation of Afghans whose asylum requests have been rejected has been temporarily suspended in the wake of an attack in Kabul that seriously damaged the German Embassy.

A flight to Kabul planned for Wednesday has been put off and spokesman Johannes Dimroth says other deportations will be postponed for the time being.

Germany considers areas of Afghanistan, including Kabul, safe and has been regularly deporting Afghans whose asylum requests have been rejected, particularly those with criminal records.

Dimroth says the decision to postpone deportations was not due to a reassessment of the danger, but rather because the embassy in Kabul is not in a position to deal with the return of the deportees after being damaged in the attack.

He says Germany's position that deportations, particularly of convicted criminals, are necessary.