On Thursday, Johan Forssell, Sweden’s Migration Minister, called on the European Union to establish a standardised procedure for issuing IDs and travel documents to Afghan nationals whose asylum applications have been denied or who have committed offences in their host countries. Minister Forssell emphasised that deporting Afghan nationals who do not meet asylum criteria is “virtually impossible” due to their lack of identification and travel documents. He acknowledged that, while the EU has no intention of making any political arrangements with Afghanistan that would legitimise the Taliban regime, the 27-member bloc could reach a technical agreement to provide necessary documentation to Afghan nationals. This would expedite their deportation.
“It is a major concern for us that we are seeing quite a few cases of people that have committed crimes, Afghan people that committed crimes in Sweden and it is more or less impossible to expel them today,” Forssell told The Associated Press on the sidelines of an informal meeting of EU Justice and Home Affairs ministers in the Cypriot capital.
“If you come to Europe and you commit crimes, you have chosen yourself not to be part of our society. And we need to do everything we can to make sure that you are expelled,” he said.
Forssell pointed out that while failed Syrian asylum seekers are considered, the focus remains on Afghan nationals, who cannot obtain IDs or passports due to the Taliban’s control over Afghan embassies in Europe. He welcomed recent EU contacts with Afghan officials as a “very positive first step.”
Forssell emphasised that over half of Afghan asylum applications are expected to be rejected, and these individuals need to return home to maintain public support for valid asylum seekers. He suggested grouping Afghan nationals slated for deportation across EU countries for repatriation via chartered flights.
European Commissioner Magnus Brunner confirmed that EU member states are working with Afghanistan’s authorities to improve repatriation processes. Forssell noted that Sweden’s previously generous asylum policies have decreased due to public concerns about mass migration, which also influenced the formation of the current government supported by the far-right anti-immigration Sweden Democrats. He mentioned that asylum applications are at their lowest level since 1985, indicating that the government is aligning with public expectations.