Twenty European Union member states have called on the European Commission to take concrete steps to enable the voluntary and forced return of Afghans without legal residence.
Belgium’s Minister for Asylum and Migration, Anneleen Van Bossuyt (N-VA), announced the joint request on Saturday. “Countries from north to south, east to west, are facing the same obstacle: we cannot deport illegal or criminal Afghans, even if they have been convicted,” she said. “This undermines public trust in our asylum policy and compromises security. It’s time to push forward together.”
Belgium, along with Bulgaria, Cyprus, Germany, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Austria, Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Sweden, has signed the letter. The signatories urge European Commissioner for Home Affairs, Magnus Brunner, to prioritise making return agreements with Afghanistan’s Taliban regime, seeking both diplomatic and practical solutions.
Van Bossuyt has suggested giving the European border agency Frontex an expanded role in facilitating the voluntary return and reintegration of Afghans. She also proposed that the Commission explore options for forced returns, focusing on individuals deemed threats to public order or safety. Furthermore, she advocated cooperating with member states willing to take joint action, including an administrative mission to Afghanistan for identification purposes.
The Belgian minister has been campaigning for several weeks to make returns to Afghanistan feasible. She noted that half of Afghan asylum requests are rejected, and over 2,800 Afghans remain in Belgian reception centres. Van Bossuyt also raised concerns about security issues involving some individuals from this group, both within and beyond the centres.
Germany’s Interior Minister, Alexander Dobrindt, expressed willingness this week to carry out deportations of Afghan nationals on behalf of other EU countries after a meeting with European counterparts in Luxembourg. While Germany, like other EU member states, does not officially recognise Afghanistan’s Taliban government, it is reportedly engaged in “advanced” negotiations with Kabul regarding deportations.
