Belgium wins backing from 19 EU states for Afghan deportations

A Belgium-led initiative calling for coordinated EU action to deport irregular and criminal Afghan nationals has gained support from 19 other member states, signalling a growing consensus within the bloc to take a tougher stance on migration and security.

A total of 20 EU governments have signed a joint letter addressed to EU migration chief Magnus Brunner, urging the European Commission to “enable both voluntary and forced returns” of Afghans who have no legal right to remain in the EU.

The letter particularly emphasizes the deportation of individuals deemed a threat to public order, arguing that “the EU can no longer afford inaction,” according to an article by Euractiv, which was the first to report on this developing motion.

The countries backing the Belgian proposal are Austria, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Germany, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, and Sweden.

Belgium’s Minister for Asylum and Migration, Anneleen Van Bossuyt, said the moment called for decisive action. “We have a window of opportunity to act,” she told Euractiv. “It’s time for a firm and coordinated response, so the EU can regain control over migration and our security.”

The letter outlines a strategy to strengthen coordination between the European Commission, the European External Action Service (EEAS), and member states willing to participate in a unified approach. One proposal includes organizing a joint EU mission to Afghanistan to facilitate returns and build communication channels with local authorities.

Another key element of the plan involves giving Frontex, the EU’s border and coast guard agency, an expanded role in handling deportations and reintegration programs. The letter suggests that Frontex should play a greater part in both voluntary and involuntary returns through the EU’s reintegration mechanism.

Currently, member states handle these processes individually, paying for logistics and reintegration efforts on their own. This, the letter argues, has resulted in “fragmented and costly approaches.”

Germany already sprinted ahead

While most member states are still discussing a collective strategy, Germany is already taking concrete steps toward resuming deportations of illegal or criminal Afghan nationals.

German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt announced that Berlin is close to finalizing an agreement with Taliban authorities to restart regular deportation flights. Though Germany does not officially recognize the Taliban government, Dobrindt previously confirmed that a German delegation would travel to Kabul in October to hold talks aimed at establishing a practical arrangement.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz has previously vowed to accelerate the deportation of Afghan nationals who have been convicted of crimes, describing it as a matter of public safety.

Broader EU context

EU discussions on deportations have so far focused on the return of Syrian nationals. At a recent meeting of EU interior ministers in Luxembourg, officials debated whether the situation in Syria now permits the return—or even forced deportation—of certain categories of migrants.

The current debate follows several earlier initiatives aimed at hardening the EU’s stance on migration. In May, Denmark, Italy, and nine other EU countries co-signed an open letter criticizing what they viewed as an overly lenient interpretation of migrant rights by European courts. That letter, also first reported by Euractiv, claimed that the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) had “tilted too far toward individual rights at the expense of national security.”

By Nazrin Sadigova