United Nations experts expressed great concern regarding the deportations of Afghan citizens carried out by European Union (EU) member states, pointing to the dangers of human rights violations within Afghanistan.
In a joint statement, the experts reminded European states of their responsibility to adhere to International Refugee Law, emphasizing the fundamental principle of non-refoulement. This principle prohibits sending individuals to places where they may be exposed to threats to their life or physical integrity.
This principle applies in scenarios involving the risk of torture, enforced disappearance, arbitrary detention, or any other serious human rights violations. The experts highlighted that the human rights situation in Afghanistan remains extremely grave, with women and girls suffering from gender-based persecution so broadly and structurally that it may constitute crimes against humanity.
The statement was signed by the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, and the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants, Gehad Madi. The experts advised the 27 EU Member States to conduct individual risk assessments of each Afghan citizen before making any deportation decision.
This is due to the requirement for extreme caution in analyzing international protection requests, given the situation in Afghanistan, and to comply with the obligations assumed by the European countries. Furthermore, the experts expressed apprehension regarding possible EU initiatives aimed at normalizing relations with the Taliban regime, which regained power in August 2021.
The experts recalled that the European Commission received the first official visit from a Taliban delegation in Brussels in June. They warned that such contacts, made without establishing clear limits on the need for improved respect for human rights, run the risk of normalizing the serious violations perpetrated by the Taliban.
Since regaining control, the Taliban have implemented various restrictions on basic rights and freedoms, particularly affecting women and girls, limiting their access to education, work, and public participation. United Nations experts have repeatedly denounced these policies, warning about systematic female persecution and the worsening humanitarian and human rights situation in the country.