Germany and the Netherlands announced on Wednesday the suspension of deportations of Afghan migrants to their countries of origin due to the fighting there between the Taliban and pro-government forces, which left many civilian victims. This is a sea change for these two countries.
Together with the governments of Belgium, Denmark, Greece and Austria, Germany and the Netherlands last week asked the European Commission to maintain the possibility of deporting Afghan migrants, despite a call from Kabul to stop these deportations.
In Berlin, the Interior Ministry finally opted for suspension “due to the evolution of the security situation” in the country, one of its spokesmen, Steve Alter, justified on Twitter.
Since 2016, around a thousand Afghans, denied their asylum applications, have been deported by plane to their country by the German authorities, especially during the years 2018 and 2019.
“The situation in Afghanistan is likely to change and the events for the next period are so uncertain that I have decided to introduce a moratorium on decisions (of expulsion) and exits,” said the secretary for her part. Dutch Justice and State Security, Ankie Broekers -Knol. “The moratorium on decisions and departures applies for a period of six months and applies to foreigners of Afghan nationality,” added the liberal party minister VVD in a letter to the Dutch parliament.
There has been no forced return of Afghans in the past six months and an expulsion is not expected soon, he said.
The expulsions of Afghans were denounced both in Germany and in the Netherlands by left-wing parties and associations for the defense of asylum seekers.
But the situation in Afghanistan has changed significantly in recent weeks.
Galvanized by the withdrawal of foreign forces, which will have definitively left Afghanistan at the end of the month after 20 years of presence, the Taliban have multiplied their territorial conquests.
They seized Kunduz, the big city in the northeast, and eight other provincial capitals in recent days in a lightning offensive that began in May and has recently gained momentum.