Twenty European Nations Demand Action on Afghan Returns
Twenty European countries are urging the European Commission to establish a pathway for the return of Afghan nationals living illegally in Europe, whether through voluntary programs or, if necessary, forced repatriation.
The initiative, spearheaded by Belgian Asylum and Migration Minister Anneleen Van Bossuyt, stems from concerns that the inability to deport Afghans – even those with criminal convictions – since the Taliban takeover in 2021 is jeopardizing security and eroding public confidence in asylum policies. A letter addressed to European Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner outlines the shared anxieties. The group includes Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, Sweden, and Norway.
The countries are requesting the Commission prioritize negotiations with the Taliban regime to establish a formal return policy. Minister Van Bossuyt has also suggested bolstering the role of the EU’s border agency, Frontex, in facilitating voluntary returns through existing EU reintegration programs. For those deemed dangerous, a joint mission to Afghanistan involving the Commission, the European External Action Service, and participating member states is proposed. This move comes as European nations grapple with increasing migration pressures and debates over border security; the UNHCR estimates over 8.2 million Afghans are displaced worldwide as of 2024.
Germany, under Chancellor Friedrich Merz, has already taken steps toward returns, conducting a flight deporting 81 Afghans in July. However, these actions have drawn criticism from the UN Refugee Agency, which maintains a “non-return advisory” for Afghanistan, citing ongoing human rights violations documented by the UN Human Rights Office. As Ravina Shamdasani, a UN refugee agency spokesperson, stated, Afghanistan remains under this advisory.
Officials anticipate further discussions within the European Commission to address the complex legal and ethical considerations surrounding the return of Afghan nationals.
