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.”

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.

The U.S. Department of War said on Friday it will release the findings of a major internal review of the 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan later this summer, in what officials describe as one of the most comprehensive assessments ever conducted on a single military operation.

Speaking to reporters, U.S. War Secretary Pete Hegseth said the review examines decisions leading up to and including the evacuation at Kabul airport, particularly the deadly attack at Abbey Gate during the final days of the withdrawal.

Hegseth said the department is conducting a full internal accounting of the events, noting that previous investigations and congressional reviews did not provide a complete or detailed picture of what took place.

He described the withdrawal as a “disastrous” moment with long-term implications, saying its impact was felt beyond Afghanistan and influenced perceptions of U.S. deterrence worldwide.

On Aug. 26, 2021, as U.S. forces were withdrawing from Afghanistan, a suicide attack at the Abbey Gate entrance to Kabul’s airport killed 13 Americans.

The bombing has remained a central focus of criticism and political debate in the United States.