Six EU nations want migrants forced back to Afghanistan

Six European Union countries want the forced deportation of migrants back to Afghanistan to continue despite the government in Kabul suspending such “non-voluntary returns.”

BRUSSELS -- Six European Union member countries insist that the forced deportation of migrants back to Afghanistan, where Taliban insurgents have made sweeping gains in recent weeks, must continue despite the government in Kabul suspending such “non-voluntary returns” for three months. In a letter dated Aug. 5, the interior ministers of Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Greece and the Netherlands urged the EU’s executive branch to “intensify talks” with the Afghan government to ensure that the deportations of refugees would continue. “We would like to highlight the urgent need to perform returns, both voluntary and non-voluntary, to Afghanistan,” the ministers wrote to the European Commission. “Stopping returns sends the wrong signal and is likely to motivate even more Afghan citizens to leave their home for the EU.” The commission confirmed Tuesday that it had received the letter and would reply when ready. Asked whether Afghanistan is a safe place to forcibly send people, spokesman Adalbert Jahnz said: “It is up to each (EU) member state to make an individual assessment of whether a return is possible.”