UK considers talks with IEA over deporting Afghan asylum seekers

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.”