German Afghans are German citizens with Afghan ancestry and non-citizen residents born in, or with ancestors from, Afghanistan and the largest Afghan community in Europe and part of the Afghan diaspora. In 2015, the Federal Statistical Office of Germany estimated the number of people of Afghan descent residing in Germany at 156,000. In particular, there are 35,805 Afghans in Hamburg. Offenbach am Main and Hamburg had the highest shares of Afghan migrants among all German districts in 2011. The Afghan community in Germany is heterogeneous with various political views, as they are in Afghanistan. Though with the NATO involvement in Afghanistan, the community has come closer together due to shared hopes and worries; however, there are relatively few representative associations or organizations. Germany forms one of the biggest Afghan diaspora communities in the world. It was estimated that the population numbered around 70,000 as of 2001. Following the European migrant crisis, the community rapidly expanded, numbering 253,000 in 2016, up from 75,000 in 2014. In 2016 there were 157 underage individuals of Afghan origin in child marriages according to the interior ministry.
By city
In 2008 Hamburg had the highest Afghan diasporic population of any city in the continent, with 7,000 German citizens of Afghan origin and 14,000 other residents of Afghan origin. Immigration began with the start of the Soviet–Afghan War in 1979 and additional immigration came after its end. Due to the differing origins and political affiliations of the emigrés, et al. wrote in Der Spiegel that "Hamburg's Afghan community was relatively loose-knit and was rarely perceived as an ethnic group, partly because these immigrants had been so deeply divided at home that there was little left to unite them as a community abroad." Therefore the residents focused internally on their own families and keeping them together.
Deportation
Around 250,000 Afghans are living in Germany. In late December 2016, Germany decided to repatriate 11,900 Afghans back to their home country, what is known as Second collective deportation.
Religion
Most Germans with Afghan heritage are Muslims. There is also a small population of Afghan Hindus, Sikhs, Christians, Jews and nonreligious in Germany.
