EU ambassadors recommend halting deportations to Afghanistan

The EU ambassadors in Afghanistan, have recommended suspending deportations to the crisis-hit country, due to a massively deteriorating security situation.

This it also said, was in view of the worsening conflict, precarious security and human rights situation, as well as lack of safe spaces in the country.

They recommended a temporary suspension of forced repatriations from EU member states to Afghanistan, according to a report by EU heads of mission in Kabul, sent to member states on Tuesday, excerpts of which were made available to dpa.

Recently, the Afghan Refugee Ministry, called on EU and other European countries to halt deportations for three months, starting in July.

The militant Islamist Taliban, now controlled almost half of the country’s districts.

EU member states were also advised to increase support for the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the UN refugee agency in Pakistan, Iran and Turkey, as these countries were expected to receive the largest influx of refugees from Afghanistan.

It is unusual for such a recommendation to be expressed, as migration issues were actually the competence of member states. The heads of mission on ground, could analyse and question certain issues, but could not intervene in capital decisions.

Eight EU countries still operated embassies in Kabul, including Germany. All heads of missions, signed the report.

In Germany, the debate about a possible halt to deportations had intensified.

Most recently, a planned deportation flight was cancelled at the beginning of August.

The Berlin government, however, stuck to the deportations.

The Federal Ministry of the Interior, said the cancelled flight should be reinstated as soon as possible.

Amnesty International and 25 other organisations have called for an immediate halt to the deportation of rejected asylum seekers from Germany.

“Germany too must not close its eyes to the ever worsening situation in Afghanistan and must stop all deportations,’’ a joint statement, signed by German non-governmental organisations, Pro Asyl, Brot fuer die Welt and Arbeiterwohlfahrt, among others said.

“The rule of law means that human rights principles are respected. They must not be put up for negotiation in an election campaign either.’’

Since 2016, more than 1,000 migrants have been returned to Afghanistan, mostly criminals.