Twenty EU member states urge return of Afghans: 'We cannot return illegal or criminal Afghan nationals, even after conviction'
Twenty European Union member states have jointly urged the European Commission to take concrete steps to enable the voluntary and forced return of Afghans who do not have legal residence status. The initiative was announced on Saturday by Belgian minister for Asylum and Migration Anneleen Van Bossuyt (N-VA).
“Member states from north to south and west to east are facing the same obstacle: we cannot return illegal or criminal Afghan nationals, even after conviction,” Van Bossuyt explained. “This undermines public trust in asylum policy and poses risks to our security. It is time to act collectively.”
Alongside Belgium, the letter was signed by Bulgaria, Cyprus, Germany, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Austria, Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Sweden. The countries have asked EU Commissioner for Asylum and Migration Magnus Brunner to keep return arrangements with the Taliban regime high on the agenda and to pursue both diplomatic and practical solutions.
Stronger role for Frontex
Van Bossuyt has proposed granting the EU border agency Frontex a stronger role in facilitating voluntary return and reintegration programmes for Afghans. She also called on the Commission to develop options for forced returns, prioritising individuals who pose a threat to public order or safety. In addition, she suggested closer cooperation among willing member states, including through an administrative mission to Afghanistan to assist with identification procedures.
The Belgian minister has been leading efforts in recent weeks to reopen the possibility of returns to Afghanistan. Half of Afghan asylum applications are currently rejected, yet more than 2,800 Afghans remain in Belgian reception centres, some of whom are linked to security incidents.
Germany’s Interior minister, Alexander Dobrindt, has indicated his country may assist other EU members with deportations and is holding “advanced” talks with Kabul, despite the Taliban regime not being officially recognised.
Meanwhile, Iran and Pakistan continue to repatriate growing numbers of Afghans, putting additional pressure on Afghanistan’s fragile economy, which remains in deep crisis. The United Nations estimates that over half of the country’s 45 million inhabitants now depend on humanitarian aid, while Europe’s own capacity to accommodate Afghan refugees is becoming increasingly strained.
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