Austria will sign an agreement with Uzbekistan next month to facilitate deportations, including the return of Afghan nationals via the Central Asian country, Austria’s Interior Ministry said on Wednesday.

The move comes as several European Union member states explore partnerships outside the bloc to manage deportations and establish so-called “return hubs” for failed asylum seekers as part of broader efforts to curb irregular migration.

While EU institutions continue negotiating the legal framework for such arrangements, a group of countries — including Denmark, Austria, Greece, Germany and Netherlands — announced in March that they would proceed with planning and coordination.

According to a government statement, Austria’s interior and foreign ministers are scheduled to travel to Uzbekistan on 7 May to formally sign the agreement.

Interior Ministry spokesman Markus Haindl said the deal would provide an important transit route for people facing deportation to their countries of origin, “especially Afghanistan.”

Austria has already deported several Afghan nationals since last year, signalling a policy shift following the Islamic Emirate takeover of Afghanistan in 2021.

Vienna has also resumed returns of Syrian nationals after the fall of longtime Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad in 2024.

The European Union is currently developing broader plans to increase deportations of migrants without legal status in the bloc, including possible returns to Afghanistan, despite warnings from rights groups and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

Five people were killed early Tuesday morning after a hillside collapse in the Shahri Buzurg district of Badakhshan, local sources confirmed.

The incident took place in the Pastaw area of Awez village, where the victims were engaged in small-scale gold extraction inside underground tunnels.

Mir Ahmad, Commander of the 4th Border Battalion, Shahr-e-Bozorg District, Badakhshan said the miners were residents of Yaftal district and were working in informal mining activities when the collapse occurred.

Preliminary findings suggest that unstable soil conditions combined with a lack of safety equipment were the main causes of the deadly incident.

A delegation from the Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran is expected to miss a key pre-World Cup FIFA gathering in Vancouver after turning back at Toronto Pearson International Airport, citing what Iranian media described as poor treatment by Canadian immigration officials.

According to Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency, the delegation included federation president Mehdi Taj, secretary general Hedayat Mombeni and deputy secretary general Hamed Momeni. The group had travelled with valid visas to attend the FIFA Congress in Vancouver but returned to Turkey on the next available flight.

Tasnim reported that Iranian officials objected to what they called the “unacceptable behaviour” of immigration staff, adding that the dispute involved comments regarding Iran’s armed forces.

The Canada government said it could not comment on individual cases due to privacy laws but reiterated that members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) are inadmissible to Canada. Taj is reported to be a former member of the IRGC.

Canada formally designated the IRGC as a terrorist organisation in 2024, a move that has complicated travel for current and former members of the group.

The incident comes as preparations intensify for the FIFA World Cup 2026, which begins on 11 June 2026 in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Iran has already qualified for the tournament, but travel, visa and security issues remain under scrutiny.

Reports said the Iranian delegation also missed the recent Asian Football Confederation Congress, also held in Vancouver.

According to Tasnim, FIFA has contacted the Iranian delegation to express regret over the incident and indicated that FIFA president Gianni Infantino may arrange a meeting with them at the organisation’s headquarters.

FIFA has not publicly commented on the matter.

The FIFA Congress, usually a routine annual meeting, carries added importance this year as organisers finalise operational and logistical plans for the first-ever 48-team World Cup.