France discusses return of Afghan migrants with Taliban — Der Spiegel
In France, authorities are holding technical talks with the authorities of the radical Islamist Taliban movement on returning a certain number of Afghan migrants who do not have residence permits to Afghanistan. French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez stated this in parliament.
According to Der Spiegel, Nuñez described these contacts as technical and noted that other countries also carry out such returns. He mentioned Germany, which, like France, does not officially recognize the Taliban government but holds high-level talks with it.
EU contacts with the Taliban
In June, a Taliban delegation arrived in Brussels for talks with representatives of the European Union and 15 member states on the return of rejected asylum seekers. These contacts prompted criticism from human rights organizations and left-wing groups. The EU also does not officially recognize the Taliban government.
In Germany, the federal government has allowed the Taliban to largely take control of Afghanistan's diplomatic missions. The driving force behind this course is German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt, whose stated goal is to increase the number of deportations.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
US plans for deportations via Pakistan
On the same day, Taliban Foreign Ministry spokesperson Abdul Qahar Balkhi expressed concern over possible US plans to deport Afghan migrants via Pakistan. He called on Washington to take into account the rights and legitimate claims of the people who may be affected.
Earlier, The New York Times, citing three US government officials, reported on the possible removal of more than 150 Afghans via Pakistan. Direct deportation from the United States to Afghanistan is impossible. According to the human rights group AfghanEvac, this concerns, in particular, people who assisted the US military before the withdrawal of American troops in 2021.
Despite the general amnesty announced by the Taliban for former employees of Western military contingents and governments, UN reports document cases of extrajudicial killings, arbitrary justice and ill-treatment. The situation of women and girls in Afghanistan has deteriorated especially severely.
