The European Parliament wants Afghans in humanitarian distress in their country to be able to come to the European Union more easily. This includes introducing special visas for women and establishing humanitarian corridors for escape routes to neighboring countries.
It also concerns support for political opponents of the Taliban and Afghans who have worked for EU countries or foreign missions, according to a press release from the EP Liaison Office in the Netherlands.
The majority of Afghans at risk will likely flee to refugee camps in the region, such as in neighboring countries Iran, Pakistan, and Tajikistan. Humanitarian corridors must be established for them to and from the Afghan border. EU countries should also assist these neighboring host countries with distributing food, water, and medicine, as well as with establishing sanitation facilities.
For some time, it has been common in some EU countries, including the Netherlands, to deport rejected Afghan asylum seekers back to Afghanistan because it was considered safe again. However, due to the Taliban takeover, the European Parliament wants EU countries to reassess asylum applications from Afghans.
This also applies to rejected Afghans still present in the EU. At least, a majority of the European Parliament believes EU countries should no longer forcibly return them.
“People fleeing war and violence should be received as quickly as possible and as close to home as possible, but the international community, including the European Union, must be willing to support the countries surrounding Afghanistan,” says CDA MEP Jeroen Lenaers. He wants the EU to release a large amount of additional funds quickly for this purpose. “One hundred million alone is not enough.”
The departure of American and international troops from Afghanistan signals a collective failure of Western policy and strategy in foreign affairs and security, European Parliament members noted. Serious lessons must be learned from this. This failure benefits non-Western powers and Afghan neighboring countries such as Pakistan, China, and Russia.