Belgium’s Minister for Asylum and Migration Anneleen Van Bossuyt has said Afghan nationals convicted of crimes and staying in Belgium illegally should be returned to Afghanistan after completing their prison sentences.

“I do not want them walking freely around our territory,” Van Bossuyt said.

She added that discussions with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) over the return of such individuals do not amount to supporting the IEA.

“Afghan criminals who are staying illegally and are in our prisons, for example for the rape of minors, must return after serving their sentences,” she said.

Van Bossuyt said such contacts were aimed at addressing security concerns, including the safety of women and girls in Belgium.

Lithuanian border guards have detained 35 Afghan and Iraqi migrants who crossed into Lithuania from Belarus, the Lithuania’s State Border Guard Service (VSAT) said.

The group was detected on Thursday evening after crossing the border near Katras village in the Varėna district, part of the Čepkeliai nature reserve.

Lithuanian authorities launched a large-scale operation to locate the migrants, deploying a VSAT helicopter, border guards, special forces and sniffer dogs. Police also assisted in the operation.

The migrants split into several groups but were detained before they could travel deeper into Lithuanian territory.

All 35 detainees were men aged approximately 20 to 30. Eleven had identification documents, while the others had none.

The VSAT said individual assessments found no security threats among the group. By Friday morning, 29 of the migrants had been denied entry and returned to Belarus in accordance with Lithuanian law.

Interviews with five others were still underway, while another migrant was taken to a medical facility for examination after reporting health problems.

Lithuanian border authorities said they have prevented 1,661 migrants from illegally entering the country from Belarus so far this year.

The transport ministries of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan and the United Arab Emirates’ Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to cooperate on the Kazakhstan-Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (CASA) railway project, according to Kazakhstan’s government.

The project aims to develop a new railway route connecting Central and South Asia and providing access to Pakistan’s seaports, while creating new opportunities for international transport, trade, logistics and investment.

Under the agreement, the three countries will conduct technical and economic studies, analytical assessments and feasibility work on the development of the required railway infrastructure and related facilities.

The parties are also considering establishing a joint working group to address the project’s technical, economic and financial aspects.

Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have developed railway networks and significant transit potential, while the UAE has international experience in transport infrastructure, logistics and major investment projects, the statement said.

The Kazakh government said combining these capabilities would support further practical work on the CASA project and help determine mechanisms for its implementation.

The Trans-Afghan transport corridor linking Central and South Asia has the potential to carry up to 10 million tonnes of cargo to Pakistan’s ports of Karachi and Gwadar.