The Council of the EU adopted, by written procedure on 4 February, the continuing cooperation with Afghanistan on migration and the return of irregular migrants. It authorised the signing of a joint declaration to this effect.
This declaration replaces the ‘Joint Way Forward on Migration Issues’ signed in 2016, which had expired (see EUROPE 11639/14). However, the instrument remains non-binding and does not have the status of a real readmission agreement, a move that NGOs criticised at the time.
For the Commission, according to a document seen by EUROPE, this new declaration brings “significant” improvements, with a more precise definition of vulnerable groups, including the family unit and seriously sick people. It also provides that all Member States will be able to participate in return flights, even if they are unplanned and irrespective of the bilateral agreements they have with that country.
European agents escorting migrants would also not need official visas to carry out these return missions, if they do not set foot on Afghan territory. Finally, the declaration will be of unlimited duration, the note says, and all Afghans deported from the EU will have to be readmitted to their country immediately upon arrival. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)