Sweden Seeks “Technical Interaction” with Taliban; New EU Plan to Deport Undocumented Afghan Asylum Seekers

STOCKHOLM (Kokcha.News) — Johan Forssell, Sweden’s Minister for Migration, speaking on the sidelines of an informal meeting of EU Justice and Home Affairs Ministers in Cyprus, stated that deporting Afghan citizens whose asylum applications have been rejected or who have committed crimes has become “almost impossible” due to a lack of identity and travel documents. He called for a common European mechanism to solve this dilemma.

Forssell emphasized that while the European Union is unwilling to negotiate officially or enter into political agreements with the Taliban—as this would legitimize the group—member states must cooperate with Kabul officials on a “technical level.” The goal of this interaction is to issue national ID cards (Tazkira) and passports for rejected asylum seekers to accelerate their return to Afghanistan.

The Swedish Minister described the current situation as a “major concern,” stating, “We see numerous cases where Afghans have committed crimes in Sweden, but their deportation is impossible due to a lack of documents.” He added that while this approach is also being considered for Syrian migrants, the return of Afghan asylum seekers is currently the Swedish government’s top priority.

A major challenge cited is that most Afghan embassies in Europe are not recognized by the Taliban, complicating document issuance. However, Forssell described recent discussions between the EU delegation in Kabul and Taliban officials as a “very positive first step.” Magnus Brunner, the EU Commissioner for Home Affairs, also confirmed that technical talks are underway to facilitate returns. Forssell warned that more than half of Afghan asylum applications will likely be rejected, and “they must return to their homeland.”