close_game
close_game

EU ministers meet to discuss Afghanistan's fall to Taliban, influx of refugees

AP | | Posted by Sharangee Dutta, Hindustan Times, New Delhi
Aug 31, 2021 05:09 PM IST

The meeting comes the day after the last US forces flew out of Kabul's international airport, ending America's longest war.

European Union justice and home affairs ministers are meeting Tuesday to discuss the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan and the flow of refugees and migrants it is expected to produce.

According to some EU estimates, around 570,000 Afghans have applied for asylum in Europe since 2015.
According to some EU estimates, around 570,000 Afghans have applied for asylum in Europe since 2015.

The meeting comes the day after the last US forces flew out of Kabul's international airport, ending America's longest war.

The 27-nation bloc is looking for ways to prevent a repeat of a 2015 refugee crisis fueled by Syria's civil war. The arrival in Europe of well over a million migrants that year led to infighting among EU member nations over how best to manage the influx. A new wave of migrants from Afghanistan is likely to exacerbate tensions.

The EU is likely to provide funding to house refugees in countries bordering Afghanistan to prevent them heading for Europe.

“It’s important that we are in a position where we can avoid a humanitarian crisis, migratory crisis and a security threat from Afghanistan," European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson said before the ministers' meeting.

“But then we need to act now and not wait until we have big flows of people at our external borders or until we have terrorist organisations being stronger,” she added. "So that’s why we need to act now to support people in Afghanistan, in the neighboring countries, and work together with international organisations.”

The EU's focus on accommodating migrants close to Afghanistan will not please rights groups.

Also Read | Don't want Afghan militants arriving under cover of refugees: Putin

Amnesty International said in a letter to Johansson that the EU and its member nations “must refrain from extremely damaging responses that put emphasis on keeping the EU’s border ‘protected’ and proposing or adopting measures that shift the responsibility for the protection of refugees to third countries.”

The human rights group said the EU should give Afghans who reach Europe “access to the territory and to fair and effective asylum procedures and adequate reception conditions” and also consider all Afghan women and girls as “prima facie refugees” due to the risks they would face in Afghanistan.

American forces helped evacuate over 120,000 U.S. citizens, foreigners and Afghans after the Taliban regained control of the country, according to the White House. Coalition forces also evacuated their citizens and Afghans. But foreign nations and the U.S. government acknowledged they didn’t evacuate all who wanted to go.

According to some EU estimates, around 570,000 Afghans have applied for asylum in Europe since 2015.

Asylum applications by Afghan nationals have climbed by a third since February as it became clear that the United States would pull troops out of Afghanistan. More than 4,648 applications were recorded in May, according to the EU’s asylum office. About half of the applications tend to be successful.

Read breaking news, latest...
See more
Read breaking news, latest updates from US, UK, Pakistan and other countries across the world on topics related to US Election Live, politics,crime, along with US Election Results Live and national affairs.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Monday, November 11, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On
// // //