The Ministry of Interior has started official-level talks with the Afghan Taliban regime on taking back refugees. A two-person delegation from the department remained in the radical Islamic-ruled country until Wednesday, the ministry confirmed.
It is emphasized that these discussions were of a “technical-operational nature”.
Karner picks up the pace
Austria, in the person of the Minister of the Interior, wants to send people back to Afghanistan. But this has so far been de facto impossible because there are no official contacts with the Taliban. Minister of the Interior Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) has been pressing for some time at European level to take appropriate measures in this area.
Many asylum rejections, many subsidiary protection
Last year, almost 1,200 asylum applications from Afghanistan were rejected in the first eleven months. However, this number is put into perspective when you consider that almost 1,000 people who were not granted asylum status received subsidiary protection and can therefore stay in the country.
The security situation in Afghanistan has improved
Nevertheless, it is likely that a not-so-small number of people will still be deported. Nearly 95,000 asylum applications have been received from Afghans over the past ten years. The Constitutional Court has also allowed deportations to Afghanistan again. In one case, the reason for this was that the security situation had improved since the radical Islamist Taliban came to power.
Search by deportation mode
The Ministry of the Interior emphasizes that the talks in Kabul were about how return could be “technically implemented”. Karner’s main concern is to return Afghans who have committed criminal offenses – and also to send a message to all those who have not adhered to the law.
Talks with the Taliban regime: Austria is not alone
The Federal Office for Immigration and Asylum also worked closely with other member states and the EU delegation in Afghanistan, the Ministry of Interior said, stressing that this was not a political contact, but rather a contact at civil servant level. Austria is not alone in this. Norway also maintains contacts with the regime.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
