Austria to Sign Agreement with Uzbekistan to Facilitate Deportation of Afghan Migrants
Austria’s Ministry of Interior has announced that the country will sign an agreement with Uzbekistan next month aimed at facilitating the deportation process of migrants, particularly Afghan citizens. According to the announcement, the main goal of the agreement is to establish a mechanism for transferring migrants through third countries and to better organize their return procedures.
The Interior and Foreign Ministers of Austria are scheduled to visit Uzbekistan on May 7 to officially sign the document. Austrian officials have stated that this agreement will enable the transfer of individuals who are set to be returned to their home countries, including Afghanistan.
Markus Heindl, spokesperson for Austria’s Ministry of Interior, described this move as important and added that using the route through third countries could make the enforcement of deportation decisions more practical. Further details regarding how the transfers will be conducted and the number of individuals covered by the agreement have not been disclosed.
Within the European Union, discussions continue on the return of migrants without legal residency. A European Commission spokesperson noted that technical contacts are ongoing with relevant Afghan authorities, following a joint request from 20 European interior and migration ministers seeking greater coordination in return procedures.
This development comes amid widespread economic challenges and severe human rights restrictions in Afghanistan under Taliban rule, especially against women and girls. These conditions have consistently raised concerns about the fate of returnees and the guarantee of their fundamental rights.
