Twenty European countries, including Norway, have called on the European Commission to begin the deportation of undocumented Afghan migrants, whether voluntarily or by force, according to AnsarPress.

In a joint letter sent to the European Commission, these countries also proposed opening negotiations with the Taliban as one potential avenue to facilitate returns.

Nicole de Moor (Annelies Van den Bosch) - Belgium`s Minister of Asylum and Migration - confirmed that the 20 European states had addressed the letter to Magnus Brunner, the European Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration, urging him to pressure the European Commission to find mechanisms that would enable the return of Afghans living illegally in Europe, "whether voluntarily or through enforcement."

The initiative, led by Belgium, has been co-signed by 18 EU member states and Norway. The signatory countries include Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, Sweden, and Norway.

In their joint appeal, these countries urged the European Commission to prioritize the return of Afghan migrants, including by "engaging in dialogue with the Taliban regime" to establish a formal repatriation framework.

Belgian Minister Annelies Van den Bosch suggested that the EU`s border agency, Frontex, should be given a stronger coordinating role in organizing and supporting voluntary returns through the EU Reintegration Program, which helps deportees resettle in their home countries.

For forced deportations, the letter further proposes that individuals deemed dangerous or criminal should be prioritized for removal through a joint mission to Afghanistan, coordinated by the European Commission, the European External Action Service (EEAS), and EU member states willing to participate.

This coordinated European push marks the most significant step yet toward formalizing returns to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, a move that has already sparked debate among human rights organizations, which warn that deportations to Afghanistan could violate international law given the ongoing humanitarian and security crises in the country.