More than 40 Afghan and international civil society and human rights organizations, in an open letter, have called on senior European Union officials to immediately halt the process of returning Afghan migrants to Afghanistan and to refrain from policies that could contribute to legitimizing the Taliban administration.
The letter was addressed to Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, and Kaja Kallas, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs.
The signatory organizations expressed concern that technical and operational contacts by some European countries with the Taliban could strengthen the group’s political standing. They stated that the Taliban are accused of widespread human rights violations, and that some of their actions may amount to crimes against humanity, particularly due to gender-based restrictions imposed on women and girls.
The letter emphasizes that any decision to return undocumented migrants to Afghanistan must be based on individual case-by-case assessments and in accordance with international refugee law and the principle of non-refoulement. Civil society organizations warned that portraying Afghan migrants as a security threat could conflict with the legal obligations of European countries under international law.
The signatories, citing reports from UN experts, noted that Afghanistan under Taliban rule is witnessing systematic discrimination and repression, particularly against women and girls. They added that cooperation with an authority accused of restricting fundamental rights raises serious legal and ethical concerns.
The letter also expressed concern over some countries’ acceptance of individuals appointed by the Taliban to represent Afghanistan’s diplomatic missions in Europe. According to the organizations, this situation increases the risk of exposing information about former government employees, refugees, and human rights activists.
The signatories further highlighted Afghanistan’s deteriorating humanitarian situation and the widespread spread of hunger as key drivers of migration, stressing that the European Union should halt the deportation of Afghan migrants, assess asylum applications under strict and rigorous standards, and end any form of information-sharing cooperation with the Taliban.
Writer:Saeed Sameer
