Brussels, 12/07/2012 (Agence Europe) - On 10 July, the European Asylum Support Office (EASO) based in Malta and operational since June 2011 published its first report on the countries of origin of asylum seekers in Europe. Its first case study focuses on Afghanistan, whose nationals in 2011 made up the majority of those seeking international protection in the EU 27.
For this reason, the EASO has sought to examine the reasons why Afghans seek asylum in the EU and in its report EASO highlights the fact that fear of being recruited by the Taliban or other insurgent groups is the main incentive why many of them leave the country. According to conversations with personnel in charge of processing their asylum requests in member states and examining the demands, different means of recruitment are identified by asylum seekers, such as the madrasas (religious schools), threatening letters, kidnappings and training camps, etc.
EASO explained that in 2011, 9% of asylum seekers in Europe were from Afghanistan, 28,000 people out of a total of 303 100 asylum seekers.
The EASO study therefore attempts to analyse the situation in the country, particularly the phenomenon of “forced recruitment” by the Taliban, which can also include retaliatory measures being taken. EASO does not rule out that this can happen, albeit an exceptional phenomenon, based on sources gleaned from its interviews but forced recruitment has also effectively been revealed in several specific areas such as Kunduz, Kunar, regions near Pakistan, zones where the Taliban has a strong presence or areas where no social or state structures exist, such as in refugee camps, explains the report.
The rate of accepting requests for asylum from Afghan nationals varies from one member state to another but the European average stands at 45% for positive responses being granted for preliminary requests but with sharp disparities between the different member states that range from 5% to 91% of asylum seekers' first demands for asylum being accepted (SP/trans/fl)