SHAFAQNA- EU countries pledged Tuesday to support Afghanistan’s neighbors to help them host refugees.
In a closing statement following a meeting in Brussels, the ministers European Union justice and home affairs ministers said the EU and its 27 nations “stand determined to act jointly to prevent the recurrence of uncontrolled large-scale illegal migration movements faced in the past, by preparing a coordinated and orderly response.” The ministers said the EU should boost its support to countries around Afghanistan “to ensure that those in need receive adequate protection, primarily in the region”.
EU countries fear a repeat of the 2015-16 refugee crisis, which was largely due to the conflict in Syria, after the Taliban recently took control of Afghanistan within days, triggering an exodus of thousands of people to neighboring countries like Pakistan and Iran, according to POLITICO.
The United Nations estimates that more than 3.5 million people are currently displaced in Afghanistan, euronews mentioned.
Rights groups were critical of the EU’s focus on accommodating migrants close to Afghanistan. The human rights group said the EU should give Afghans who reach Europe “access to the territory and to fair and effective asylum procedures and adequate reception conditions” and also consider all Afghan women and girls as “prima facie refugees” due to the risks they face in Afghanistan, France24 reported.