Sweden’s migration minister on Thursday called on the European Union to develop a common procedure to issue identity and travel documents for Afghan nationals whose asylum applications have been rejected or who have committed crimes, saying deportations are currently “more or less impossible”.
Migration Minister Johan Forssell said many Afghan nationals in Sweden and other EU states lack valid identification or travel documents, making it difficult to return them to Afghanistan.
“There is no political interest in making arrangements that would legitimise the Taliban,” Forssell said on the sidelines of an informal meeting of EU justice and home affairs ministers. “But at a technical level, we need solutions that make returns possible.”
Forssell said Sweden was particularly concerned about cases involving Afghan nationals convicted of crimes. “If you come to Europe and you commit crimes, you have chosen yourself not to be part of our society,” he said, adding that authorities should do “everything we can” to ensure deportation.
He said most Afghan embassies in Europe are not recognised by the Taliban authorities in Kabul, making it impossible for Afghans to obtain passports or identity papers. Forssell said recent contacts by the European Commission with officials in Kabul were a “positive first step” toward resolving the issue.
Forssell said more than half of Afghan asylum applicants are expected to have their claims rejected and should return home, warning that failure to enforce returns could undermine public support for asylum systems.
He also proposed organising joint charter flights to deport Afghan nationals from multiple EU countries.
European Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner said EU member states were engaging at a technical level with Afghanistan’s “effective authorities” to facilitate returns.
Sweden, once known for its generous asylum policies, has tightened migration rules in recent years. Forssell said asylum applications were at their lowest level since 1985, reflecting growing public concern over the impact of large-scale migration and shaping the current government’s policies.
