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Netherlands mulls deal with Uzbekistan on deporting failed Afghan asylum seekers
Uzbekistan recently agreed to accept rejected Afghan migrants from Germany in return for migrant worker exchange program
The Netherlands is deciding whether it can persuade Uzbekistan to accept Afghan migrants who have had their asylum applications rejected.
Germany recently agreed with Uzbekistan that it could send rejected Afghan asylum seekers to the neighboring country.
“At the moment, the Cabinet is examining the extent to which agreements can be made with Uzbekistan,” said Asylum Minister Marjolein Faber on Wednesday.
Faber did not elaborate nor would she say when more details would be available.
These are “sometimes very early discussions, only explorations”, and these do not benefit from openness, Faber said.
Asylum seekers who have exhausted all legal remedies, especially criminals, are often not welcome in their countries of origin, the Netherlands and other European countries have been looking for ways to send them back for years.
Germany meanwhile hopes to send them back via Uzbekistan. The two countries agreed on this last month, in return for the admission of Uzbek migrant workers and development aid, among other things.