KABUL - Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Abdullah Abdullah has renewed his call on European countries not to forcibly expel Afghan refugees.
A statement from the CEO’s office said Abdullah made the appeal during a meeting with Lowrant Mishel, EU’s refugee and protection affairs head, during a meeting on Wednesday.
The CEO and the EU diplomat discussed Afghan refugees’ problems in Europe and solutions to them, the statement said.
It quoted Mishel as saying that Europe faced problems with the influx of refugees from other regions and the EU could not continue to deal with the situation.
He said the Afghan government would help the EU send back home Afghan refugees who had not been granted asylum by European countries. Mishel added the EU would help the Afghan refugees return back to Afghanistan.
However, Abdullah said: “Afghanistan would help the Afghans in voluntarily returning home, but would accept their forced deportation.”
Abdullah said Afghanistan hoped the EU would consider the Geneva Convention on refugees’ rights.
According to reports, nearly 160,000 Afghans have reached Europe in 2014 through smuggling routes and have applied for asylum. (Pajhwok)