20 European states addressed Magnus Brunner, the European Union's (EU) Commissioner for Migration Affairs, demanding that the Commission create broader opportunities for the return of Afghan citizens who do not have the right to remain in the country.
Modern.az reports that among the signatories of the document is also German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt.
The letter stated that although deportation decisions were made regarding 22,870 Afghan citizens in the European Union last year, only 435 of them were returned to Afghanistan. The states emphasized that this situation is unsatisfactory, and deemed it necessary for the issue of voluntary and forced returns to Afghanistan to be accepted as a common responsibility at the EU level.
The appeal also proposed considering the issue of increasing deportation opportunities to Afghanistan. The importance of prioritizing the return of individuals who pose a threat to public order and national security was particularly emphasized.
The letter, prepared at Belgium's initiative, was signed by Germany, as well as the Netherlands, Bulgaria, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Austria, Poland, Slovakia, Sweden, Czechia, Hungary, and Cyprus. Norway is also among the countries supporting the document.
It should be noted that the German government is currently negotiating with Taliban representatives regarding deportations to Afghanistan. Following the Taliban's rise to power, two deportations from Germany to Afghanistan have been carried out with Qatar's mediation.
