EU Countries Push for Return of Afghan Migrants

A letter endorsed by 19 EU member states along with Norway has urged Brussels to greenlight the return of illegal Afghan migrants back to Afghanistan, now under Taliban rule.

On Friday, Belgian Minister of Asylum and Immigration, Anneline van Boscht, announced that Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Germany, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Sweden signed the letter advocating for the deportation of Afghan nationals.

The letter pointed out that the European Commission’s inability to negotiate a return agreement with the Taliban has left member states unable to deport illegal migrants and convicted criminals. This situation is said to pose a national security risk and erodes public trust in asylum policies.

Van Boscht emphasized, “We have sent a clear and strong message to the European Commission: We cannot stand still any longer. The time has come for a decisive, joint approach to help Europe regain control over migration and security.”

Furthermore, she argued that without effective return policies, everything else related to asylum and migration will fail. “The EU must communicate clearly that those ineligible for protection or residence in Europe, especially those who threaten our societies, must be returned,” she added.

The Belgian minister noted that over half of Afghan asylum applications are rejected, yet more than 2,800 Afghans who should be deported remain in reception centers. She highlighted that Afghans in these centers are notably considered a security concern.

“In 2024, Afghans were involved in the second highest number of serious incidents in our reception centers,” she remarked. “We can’t continue to overlook that.”

The letter addressed to European Commissioner for Asylum and Migration, Magnus Brunner, stated that 22,870 deportation orders were issued for Afghans across the EU last year, but merely 435 were returned, indicating a success rate of just 2%.

“The organization of voluntary and forced returns to Afghanistan represents a collective challenge for Europe that needs a unified response. It’s vital for the EU to treat returns and reintegration into Afghanistan as a shared responsibility and tackle the issue at the EU level,” the letter urged.

Rather than formal negotiations with the Taliban, which regained control following the US troop withdrawal in 2021, some EU countries have started their own discussions with the Islamist regime.

Recently, German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt stated that talks with Kabul regarding a return agreement, promised during last year’s parliamentary elections, have progressed significantly.

The coalition government is working towards making this happen, even though Germany lacks official diplomatic ties with the Taliban, with Qatar stepping in as an intermediary and arranging two deportation flights to Afghanistan.