EU Considers Returning Afghan Migrants Without Legal Residency
Several media outlets have reported that the European Union is reviewing plans to return Afghan migrants who do not have legal residency status in EU member states.
According to the reports, officials in Brussels have begun contacts with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan in Kabul to assess the feasibility of such returns. These contacts are reportedly aimed at exploring practical solutions and the necessary mechanisms for returning migrants.
A portion of the media reports states: “The European Union is pushing ahead with plans to deport Afghans with no right to stay in the bloc back to their country, raising practical challenges and concerns from the UN refugee agency. Under pressure from member states to crack down on irregular migration, Brussels has initiated contacts with the Taliban government in Kabul to assess the feasibility of returns.”
Mujib-ur-Rahman Atal, a migration policy expert and researcher based in Germany, said: “Unfortunately, this explicitly enables the deportation of refugees whose asylum applications in EU member states have been rejected. There are serious concerns in this regard, particularly violations of the legal principle of non-refoulement sending refugees back to countries where they may face danger.”
The reports further note that the UN High Commissioner for Refugees has warned that such a process is accompanied by serious legal and ethical concerns.
Meanwhile, several Afghan migrants living in European countries have shared their views on the challenges they face.
Saif-ur-Rahman Adeeb, an Afghan migrant in Germany, said: “Afghan asylum seekers are often not allowed to work, attend language courses, or participate in integration programs. This limits their access to educational and employment opportunities.”
Abdul Raziq Adil, a migrant rights activist, said: “For many Afghan asylum seekers, this situation means the end of uncertainty but the beginning of a new phase of legal insecurity. Unless there are strong guarantees for the safety of returnees, these plans will face legal challenges in European courts and widespread international criticism.”
Earlier, Belgium’s state media reported that representatives of Belgium and 20 other European countries, during a visit to Kabul, reached an agreement with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan to cooperate on identifying migrants in Europe who are accused of crimes.
