Afghanistan’s Ambassador Warns of Chain Deportations Amid Suspicious Deals with Taliban
Nasir Ahmad Andisha, Afghanistan’s Ambassador to Switzerland, has expressed deep concern over what he calls “suspicious dealings” by some European countries with the Taliban administration regarding the forced deportation of Afghan migrants. He warned that this process could lead to an increased risk of “chain deportations” and the forced return of refugees to Afghanistan, a country that, according to him, lacks the necessary conditions for safe and voluntary return.
On Tuesday, June 23, Andisha wrote on his X page that he raised these concerns during talks with the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Migration. He stated that any backdoor agreements for returning migrants widen support gaps and expose thousands to serious risks.
The Afghan ambassador emphasized that forced returns, especially of women and girls as well as former members of security forces, could have very severe consequences. This comes amid multiple reports of widespread restrictions and systematic pressures by the Taliban administration on women and certain social groups—a situation that has heightened worries about the safety of returnees.
He also noted that resettlement programs in a number of countries have been halted or suspended, leaving thousands of Afghan migrants in third countries in difficult and sometimes detention-like conditions, remaining in limbo. According to Andisha, this situation requires urgent attention from the international community.
Andisha called on United Nations member states to acknowledge that the current conditions do not permit safe and voluntary returns to Afghanistan and to expand legal migration pathways in accordance with their international commitments to human rights and refugees.
