European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson warned the European Union (EU) of a new migration crisis and urged it to intervene before Afghan refugees arrive at its external borders due to the Taliban’s capture of Kabul.
On Wednesday, Johansson told Euronews: “The situation is extremely worrying. We know what the Taliban are capable [of], so a lot of people are in immediate danger in Afghanistan right now: those fighting for women’s rights, for fundamental rights, journalists, authors. So it’s important to protect them.” She added, “We have learned the lesson from 2015 so that we will not see a new migration crisis in the European Union,” stressing that member states must act as a united bloc rather than taking unilateral actions.
She also asked members to intervene at the earliest and said, “And that also, of course, includes money. This money should serve to support the displaced and vulnerable Afghans who are currently inside the country, a number the Commission estimates to be over 3.5 million people.”
Furthermore, Johansson said the Union must support the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and Afghanistan’s neighbouring countries, including Iran, Pakistan, and Tajikistan, as they are most likely to be immediate destinations for Afghans trying to flee Taliban rule. In this regard, she said, “This extra aide must make sure that we don’t end up in a situation where a lot of people embark on dangerous smuggling routes ending up at our external borders.”
Recently, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell and Commissioner for Economy Paolo Gentiloni suggested activating the Temporary Protection Directive, a 2001 EU law that proposes a rapid system to manage a mass influx of migrants displaced from their homeland due to armed conflict, violence, or human rights violations. It allows all EU states to share the burden and grant temporary protection, including residence permits.
However, Johansson disagreed with her colleagues and called the mechanism outdated, unaware of member states reality, and virtually impossible to activate. Instead, she urged the Union to cooperate with member states and allies willing to offer shelter to Afghan migrants in need of international protection.
Last week, Johansson called on member states to step up their involvement in the resettlement of Afghan refugees and increase resettlement quotas to help people in need of international protection. However, many EU member states, including Austria and Slovenia, expressed concern over the new migration crisis and refused to take in Afghan refugees.
Austrian Interior Minister Karl Nehammer said, “It must be our goal to keep the majority of the people in the region.” Similarly, French President Emmanuel Macron said, “Europe alone cannot shoulder the consequences of the situation in Afghanistan and must anticipate and protect ourselves against significant irregular migratory flows.”
Acknowledging the migration crisis during a trip to Madrid on Saturday, European Council President Charles Michel said, “Partnerships with third-party countries will be at the heart of our discussion in the European Union. We have to adopt strategies that ensure migration is possible in an orderly and consistent fashion. We need to find that balance between the dignity of the European Union and the capacity to defend European Union interests.”
Johansson’s warning comes after the G7 leaders failed to convince United States President Joe Biden to extend the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan beyond August 31. European nations earlier expressed concern over the tight deadline, which won’t allow for the full completion of evacuations and would force countries to leave Afghan workers and interpreters behind. Despite requests from allies, Biden stood firm on his decision to not extend the deadline.