European Union urges member states to offer safe pathways out of Afghan for at-risk people

European Commission’s chief spokesman on August 26 urged EU member states to come up with safe legal pathways for people who are particularly at risk to travel from the Taliban-controlled Afghanistan to Europe. While speaking at a press briefing, Eric Mamer said that the EU has a duty to help those who are particularly at risk in Afghanistan. He even went on to say that the NATO countries should be also involved in efforts to safely evacuate at-risk groups from the war-torn nation. 

"We have a duty to help those who are particularly at risk in Afghanistan, be it before or after the deadline. These are ... for example, human rights activists, female judges and lawyers, journalists, educated women and their children. For these groups, the message is quite clear that the EU is asking member states to offer safe pathways to Europe for them to be able to come," Mamer said. 

"We are also going to work with countries in the region so internally displaced people can safely go back to their homes in Afghanistan," he added. 

Europe fears Afghan refugee crisis

Meanwhile, earlier this week, EU Commissioner Ursula von der Leyen had also urged the European Union members to accept Afghanistan migrants fleeing Kabul following the takeover. "We have to offer options to people who cannot go back or stay home," von der Leyen said after touring a military installation in northeast Spain. She also said that all European Union nations that had missions in Afghanistan needed to provide enough quotas to ensure that people who needed protection received it. 

Several EU countries, on the other hand, are trying to avoid another large-scale influx of migrants and refugees from Afghanistan. According to AP, EU officials suggested setting up “deportation centres” in countries neighbouring Afghanistan so that EU countries can deport Afghans who have been denied asylum even if they cannot be sent back to their homeland. Besides that, there have been few concrete offers from European countries, which besides evacuating their own citizens and Afghan collaborators, say they are focusing on helping Afghans inside their country and in neighbouring countries such as Iran and Pakistan.

(With inputs from ANI, AP)