The UK is considering potential talks with the Islamic Emirate on deporting failed Afghan asylum seekers, marking a possible shift in policy.

UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the government is “closely monitoring” discussions by other countries, including European partners, but stressed that no final decision has been made and the option remains open.

Afghans were the most common nationality arriving in the UK by small boats in the year ending June 2025, with 6,360 arrivals—an 18% increase from the previous year. Between 2022 and 2024, nearly 30,000 Afghans applied for asylum in the UK.

However, the UK does not officially recognize the Islamic Emirate, creating a major barrier to any deportation agreement.

Shabana said: “We’re monitoring very closely what is happening in terms of other countries, whether that’s European partners or others, and conversations they are having with other countries, including Afghanistan.

“I’m not going to get into any additional discussions that are happening in government – we’ll have more to say about that in the future – but of course we monitor closely and we work with our partners in terms of the efforts that we all need to make collectively to try to get agreements.

“I’m not ruling it in or out. I’m not going to give a running commentary on additional conversations that are happening.”

Islamic Emirate Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi has said the recent talks between Afghanistan and Pakistan in Urumqi, China, have had positive results.

At the graduation ceremony of the Institute of Diplomacy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he called on politicians, scholars, professors, writers and media activists to deal with sensitive issues between the two neighboring and Islamic countries with “responsibility” and refrain from publishing irresponsible content.

Muttaqi stressed that diplomacy should be based on ethics and Sharia principles, adding that some youths publish content that could harm the country without knowing the consequences.

He also said there was no armed opposition movement across Afghanistan and no reports of attacks on checkpoints or capture of areas by the opposition.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan has responded to media reports suggesting that around 1,100 Afghans awaiting U.S. visa processing in Qatar may be relocated to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

In a statement on Saturday, the ministry’s spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi said it had taken note of reports indicating that Afghan nationals in Qatar were being asked to choose between returning to Afghanistan or being transferred to a third country.

The ministry reiterated that Afghanistan is the shared homeland of all Afghans and encouraged voluntary return, stressing that returnees can come back with “full confidence and peace of mind.”

It said that those intending to travel to another country may do so at an appropriate juncture through legal and dignified channels.

The statement added that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is ready to engage with all countries through consular and bilateral channels to protect the rights of Afghan citizens abroad.

It further stated that there are no security threats inside Afghanistan, rejecting the notion that citizens are being forced to leave for other countries due to conditions at home.