Netherlands considering deal with Uzbekistan on deporting failed Afghan asylum seekers

The government is examining whether it can persuade Uzbekistan to accept rejected asylum seekers. Germany recently agreed with Uzbekistan that it could send 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 in the Tweede Kamer on Wednesday. The PVV Minister did not want to say any more about this, nor when she would be able to report more. These are "sometimes very early discussions, only explorations”, and these do not benefit from openness, Faber said.

As asylum seekers who have exhausted all legal remedies, especially criminal ones, are often not welcome in their countries of origin, the Netherlands and other European countries have been eagerly looking for ways to send them back anyway for years. These countries are particularly reluctant to accept unwelcome Afghans, as they often have no official ties to the country since the Taliban seized power. Therefore, Germany wants 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.