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Finland halts deportations to Afghanistan after U.S. troops leave
Finland will temporarily halt deportations to Afghanistan because of potential instability there following the withdrawal of U.S. and other foreign troops, its immigration service said on Monday.
Jaakko Purontie, head of the immigration service’s legal department, told Reuters no time frame had been set for the suspension of deportations.
“For the time being, we do not make decisions that lead to a deportation to Afghanistan,” Purontie said, citing the immigration service’s view that the situation in Afghanistan is unclear and unstable.
“We cannot say what the situation for a person returning to a certain area would be.”
After the United States withdrew troops from the country after 20 years of war, ground offensives by Taliban insurgents have given the group control of more territory in Afghanistan than at any time since the conflict began.
Purontie said the policy change will only affect people who would otherwise be deported back to Afghanistan.
According to the immigration service data https://tilastot.migri.fi/index.html#decisions?l=en, more 70 percent of Afghan migrants seeking a residence permit, asylum or citizenship in Finland have had their applications accepted.
Zalmay Khalilzad, the former US special representative for Afghanistan, has questioned Pakistan’s commitment to the welfare of the Afghan people, citing Islamabad’s policies over the past three decades.
Khalilzad said in a post on X that Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif advocated for the rights of Afghan women during his speech at the UN General Assembly on Friday.
Sharif said: “Fundamental rights of the Afghan people — especially women and girls — must be respected.”
Responding to the remarks, Khalilzad said Pakistan’s policies over the past 30 years raise questions about Sharif’s commitment to Afghan welfare.
He cited Pakistan’s support for militant groups against US forces and what he described as the poor treatment of Afghan refugees as examples.
Khalilzad also said Afghanistan and Pakistan need and should have much better relations, adding that “a reset is necessary.”
India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met with the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Rabab Fatima, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X that Misri underscored the need to keep addressing the humanitarian needs of the Afghan people as a priority.
Misri also appreciated the role of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and reaffirmed India’s continued cooperation with the United Nations on Afghanistan.
The meeting comes as Afghanistan continues to face humanitarian and economic challenges, with international agencies warning of significant needs among the Afghan population.
Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi has called for pragmatic and coordinated international engagement with Afghanistan, saying the country’s long-term stability is closely linked to the security and sustainable development of Central Asia.
Speaking during the general debate of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Friday, Tileuberdi said humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan remains essential but alone cannot break the cycle of poverty, displacement and dependency.
He said Kazakhstan supports a “pragmatic, coordinated and step-by-step” approach to international engagement with Afghanistan, with the United Nations playing a central role.
Tileuberdi also said Kazakhstan is working with the UN to operationalize the United Nations Regional Centre for the Sustainable Development Goals for Central Asia and Afghanistan in Almaty.
He said the success of the centre should be measured by the results and assistance it delivers to the region.
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