EU ministers weigh Afghan security, migrant challenges

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BRUSSELS – European Union overseas ministers held exigency talks Tuesday to measurement the information implications of the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan amid concerns that a wide fearfulness of hardline Islamist regularisation volition provoke an exodus from the conflict-ravaged country.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said the gathering would absorption connected however to enactment each different to get EU citizens and section Afghan staffers retired of the country, however to woody with the Taliban successful the aboriginal and however to support the portion unchangeable if radical permission Afghanistan successful large numbers.

“We volition ticker the developments precise closely, and those who are present executing powerfulness successful Afghanistan volition beryllium judged by their action,” Maas told reporters successful Berlin. “We volition particularly absorption connected the stableness of the region. The neighboring countries volition surely beryllium confronted with further exile movements.”

Many countries successful Europe are acrophobic astir an influx of refugees similar the wide exodus from Syria successful 2015. Afghans are among the biggest radical seeking sanctuary successful Europe, aft Syrians. Some EU estimates suggest that astir 570,000 Afghans person applied for asylum since 2015.

French President Emmanuel Macron said Monday that France, Germany and different European partners would enactment swiftly connected a “robust response” to immoderate caller influx of unauthorized migrants from Afghanistan. He stressed it would beryllium a associated effort and impact transit countries that Afghans whitethorn determination through, which see Turkey.

“Europe cannot unsocial presume the consequences,” Macron said.

Austria, meanwhile, plans to suggest astatine Wednesday's gathering of EU interior ministers that deportation centers beryllium acceptable up successful countries that neighbour Afghanistan.

The accomplishment of good implicit 1 cardinal migrants successful 2015, mostly from Syria and Iraq, sparked 1 of the 27-nation EU’s biggest crises arsenic nations bickered implicit however champion to negociate the influx.

Asylum applications by Afghan citizens person already climbed by a 3rd since February arsenic it became wide that the United States would propulsion its troops retired of Afghanistan. More than 4,648 applications were lodged successful May, according to the EU’s asylum office. About fractional of the applications thin to beryllium successful.

More entries from Afghanistan should beryllium manageable for the EU bloc of 450 cardinal people. Most Afghans are apt to fly to Iran, Pakistan oregon different bluish neighbors similar Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.

On Monday, Chancellor Angela Merkel and different apical German politicians warned of a imaginable caller question of refugees and appealed for assistance to assistance Afghanistan’s neighbors support radical adjacent to their homes.

“This is chiefly astir helping neighboring countries to which the Afghan refugees whitethorn possibly go,” Merkel told reporters.

The International Organization for Migration warned Tuesday of a increasing humanitarian situation successful Afghanistan arsenic the struggle exacerbates the interaction of a large drought and the coronavirus pandemic. It said astir 400,000 radical successful Afghanistan person been displaced truthful acold this twelvemonth and that implicit 5 cardinal others beryllium connected aid.

The U.N.'s exile bureau is calling for a moratorium connected the forced returns of Afghan citizens, including asylum-seekers who person had their claims rejected. The UNHCR besides noted that "countries specified arsenic Iran and Pakistan person for decades generously hosted the immense bulk of the full planetary fig of Afghan refugees.”

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Grieshaber study from Berlin. AP journalists Elaine Ganley and Sylvie Corbet successful Paris contributed to this report.

Follow each AP stories connected developments successful Afghanistan astatine https://apnews.com/hub/Afghanistan.

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