EU will try to stop mass immigration from Afghanistan
(VOVWORLD) - European Union states are seeking to help Afghanistan’s neighbors following the takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban, to avoid a repeat of the uncontrolled influx of refugees and migrants in 2015.
 Child refugees gather along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border in Chaman, southwest of Pakistan, on August 27, 2021. (Photo: Xinhua/VNA) |
In a joint statement released at the end of a meeting in Brussels on Tuesday, EU Interior Ministers pledged to strengthen support for countries in Afghanistan's immediate vicinity to ensure that refugees receive adequate protection without leaving the region.
European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson said the best way to avoid a migratory crisis is to avoid a humanitarian crisis, adding that the EU must act now rather than wait until the migration hits its borders.
By mid-September, 27 EU nations will announce their plan for accepting refugees as part of the annual quota.
The UN has warned that as many as half a million Afghanis could flee their homeland by the end of the year.