Nineteen European Union member states, along with non-EU country Norway, are urging the European Commission to begin returning Afghans who are residing illegally in Europe, either voluntarily or through deportation.

They are also calling for negotiations with the Taliban, the de facto rulers of Afghanistan, regarding the future of these people who have become unwanted in Europe. 

This unexpected move stands in stark contrast to the EU’s own principles and established practice of not deporting asylum seekers to countries with gross human rights abuses.

The European Parliament passed a resolution last week condemning  the Taliban’s “numerous gender-based restrictions and discriminatory policies that prevent Afghan women from accessing education, medical training, healthcare, and humanitarian work," saying it amounts to “gender apartheid”. It  also condemned the Taliban’s recent decision to shut down the internet nationwide causing widespread disruption.

Is Afghanistan Safe?

The key question here is whether the 27-member European bloc considers Afghanistan a safe country—one that, according to Brussels, is generally free from persecution, torture, or inhumane treatment.

Belgium’s Minister for Asylum and Migration, Anneleen Van Bossuyt announced the joint request on Saturday 18 October  citing security concerns in Europe behind the deportation demand.

“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 , Austria, Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Sweden, and non-EU country Norway have signed the joint request. The signatories are calling on European Interior Commissioner, Magnus Brunner to prioritize securing return agreements with Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers , urging both diplomatic engagement and practical measures to facilitate deportations.

Germany’s Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt signaled this week that Berlin is prepared to carry out deportations of Afghan nationals on behalf of other EU countries. Although Germany, like the rest of the EU, does not officially recognize the Taliban government, it is reportedly engaged in “advanced” negotiations with Kabul over deportation arrangements.

 In July, Germany conducted a flight deporting 81 Afghans and hopes other European countries will follow. Germany’s actions had then drawn criticism from the United Nations as Afghanistan remains subject  to a “non-return advisory.”

In an 2022 estimation, the number of Afghans residing in Germany was 425,000.

Taliban's Recognition Chances Slim

The European move on Afghan refugees comes amid Afghanistan’s recent efforts to re-engage diplomatically with the international community. In early October, Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi made the first visit by a senior Taliban official to India since the group returned to power in August 2021 following the chaotic withdrawal of US-led forces.

In July Russia became the first country to recognise the Taliban government of Afghanistan.

Gilles Bertrand, EU Special Envoy for Afghanistan, at the end of his six-day visit to Afghanistan on 17 October, said the return of more than 4 million Afghans from neighbouring countries over the past two years "was raised by all my interlocutors as a major challenge and a considerable additional pressure on the already dire socio-economic situation in Afghanistan".

“We informed the de facto authorities of increased EU support for returnees in 2025, to be implemented by IOM, UNHCR and local and international NGOs, with a focus on supporting sustainable solutions, reintegration, job opportunities and private sector development, as well as basic services in critical sector such as health and education,” he said in a statement.

 The EU official red-flagged the human rights situation in the country and expressed strong concerns regarding the situation of women and girls and the restrictions imposed on most of their social, economic, cultural and civil and political rights. The recent decision to prevent female Afghan employees from working in UN premises in the country is another negative signal sent to the international community, he said.

Many European observers believe that the Taliban’s chances of gaining broader diplomatic recognition from the global community remain slim unless they make substantial progress on women’s rights and other key human rights issues.

(The author is an Indian journalist who is a long time resident in Brussels and has been covering European and EU affairs for the past 40 years. Views expressed are personal . He can be reached at nawab_khan@hotmail.com X: @NawabKhan10)