The Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the European Union announced on Thursday 26 August that an exceptional meeting of EU Interior Ministers would be held on Tuesday 31 August to discuss the potential repercussions of the Afghan crisis in terms of migration and security. Ministers from the associated Schengen countries should also participate.
According to a draft declaration, circulated by the Slovenian Presidency to EU delegations and discussed in a working group on Thursday 26 August, the ministers could on Tuesday stress that the “gravity of the situation in Afghanistan requires a strong and concerted response to its many dimensions”. Coordination on all dimensions of the situation in Afghanistan (humanitarian, migration, security, foreign policy) is crucial, the draft seen by EUROPE adds.
According to the Slovenian authorities, “the EU and its Member States are determined to act jointly to prevent a recurrence of the migration situation experienced in 2015”.
In a tweet on 22 August, Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša explained that the Europeans would not repeat the “strategic mistake” of 2015.
The EU Council Presidency adds that the EU and its Member States remain committed to the effective protection of the EU’s external borders, while adding that there is a need to support and provide adequate protection to those in need, in accordance with EU law and international obligations.
According to the draft declaration, the Union should speak with one voice and avoid sending messages that could potentially act as pull factors. “We should make every effort to ensure that migrants are protected in the region itself” of Afghanistan, says the Slovenian Presidency.
In addition, the EU will continue to coordinate with international partners to help stabilise the region and ensure that humanitarian aid is delivered to vulnerable populations in Afghanistan and neighbouring countries. It will continue its work to strengthen the capacity of third countries, which receive the most migrants, to offer dignified and safe reception conditions, the Presidency adds. This cooperation should include capacity building in border management, prevention of migrant smuggling, and human trafficking.
Support could be provided in the form of voluntary resettlement of refugees, especially for vulnerable groups such as women and children, the paper adds.
The Presidency also underlines the Union’s commitment to evacuate Afghan nationals who have cooperated with it in recent years and warns that it will continue its efforts to ensure their protection.
The draft declaration also pledges that the EU and its Member States will do their utmost to ensure that the situation in Afghanistan does not lead to new threats to the security of EU citizens. In particular, it believes that it is important to carry out timely security checks on evacuees in the country.
Condemnation of the attacks in Kabul
On Thursday 26 August, the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, said he was very concerned by the news of an explosion outside Kabul airport which had killed several people. Another explosion occurred a few minutes later near a hotel where Westerners were staying.
“Securing safe passage to the airport remains vital. We need to ensure the current instability cannot give rise to a resurgence of terrorism”, he said on Twitter.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg strongly condemned the “terrible terrorist attack”, adding that NATO’s priority remained to evacuate as many people as quickly as possible.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who called the attacks “cowardly and inhumane”, said “it is essential to do everything possible to ensure the safety of people at the airport”. “The international community must work closely together to prevent a resurgence of terrorism in Afghanistan and beyond”, she added.
A multi-faceted crisis
At the same time, in Brussels, the ambassadors of the Member States to the EU were meeting to discuss the situation in Afghanistan. They were briefed by Mr Michel’s Head of Cabinet on the G7 meeting on 24 August, on humanitarian aid and migration issues by the Commission and by the European External Action Service.
According to an EU source, the conclusion of the more than three-hour discussion was that the Afghan crisis is multi-dimensional and that it will take a lot of unity if the EU is to play an important role in the future.
The ambassadors reportedly reiterated that evacuation remains the priority. They also discussed migration and security issues, including terrorism, drugs, human trafficking, and aviation safety. They would agree that European agencies should have an additional role in controlling the external borders.
A case for “hard power”
On Thursday, European Commissioner for Internal Market Thierry Breton also addressed the Afghan crisis. In his view, the unilateral withdrawal of US troops showed once again the EU’s heavy dependence on Washington’s foreign and security policy. This, he hoped, could however advance the EU’s concept of strategic autonomy.
Mr Breton called for a “Europe of Power” in which the Union’s influence would no longer be exercised solely through “soft power”, but also through “hard power”. This means developing a European security and defence doctrine, but also creating a “European force projection capability”, he explained, echoing the recent call by High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell for a European first entry force (see EUROPE 12714/5). (Camille-Cerise Gessant, Pascal Hansens and Mathieu Bion)