Twenty countries are demanding that the European Commission begin the return of illegally residing Afghans in Europe, either voluntarily or forcibly, including negotiations with the Taliban. Latvia is not among these countries.
In a letter addressed to Magnus Brunner, the Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration, 19 EU countries and Norway joined forces to pressure the European Commission to find ways to return Afghan citizens living illegally in Europe, either voluntarily or forcibly. This was reported by Belgian Minister for Asylum and Migration Annelies Verlinden.
Many EU countries argue that the inability to deport Afghans, even those convicted of crimes, due to the lack of a formal repatriation agreement with Afghanistan since the Taliban took power in 2021 poses a security threat to EU countries and "undermines public trust in asylum policy."
The initiative, led by Annelies Verlinden, was supported by 18 other EU countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, and Sweden, as well as Norway, which is not part of the European Community.
They demand that the European Commission prioritize the issue of returning Afghans on its agenda, including negotiations with the Taliban regime to agree on a repatriation policy.
Since the Taliban took power in Afghanistan in 2021, Russia has been the only country to recognize them as the legitimate government.
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