THE HOME Secretary has opened the door to talks with the Taliban over returning Afghan migrants.
Shabana Mahmood signalled the UK could follow European countries now moving to engage directly with Afghanistan’s rulers – and suggested the issue is being actively discussed inside Government.
Sign up for the Politics newsletter
Thank you!
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has opened the door to talks with the Taliban over returning Afghan migrants Credit: Alamy
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has already said he would strike direct deals with countries including Afghanistan to take back migrants Credit: Reuters
The shift comes as Afghans remain one of the top nationalities crossing the Channel in small boats.
But returns to the country are extremely limited because Western governments do not formally recognise the Islamist regime and lack agreements to send people back.
Across Europe, governments are now stepping up efforts to break the deadlock on returns, with the EU preparing highly sensitive talks with Taliban officials in Brussels aimed at facilitating deportations.
Asked if the UK would follow suit, Ms Mahmood made clear she is watching developments closely.
‘MIGRANT CITY’
Inside camp overrun by migrants as travellers cash in on immigration crisis
JANE MOORE
Immigration has left us in doom loop… why it’ll be final nail in Labour’s coffin
She said: “We’re monitoring very closely what is happening in terms of other countries, other partners of our own, whether that’s European partners or others, and conversations they are having with other countries, including Afghanistan.
“Will continue to monitor that work. I’m not going to get into any additional discussions that are happening in government.
“We will have more to say about that in the future.”
Pushed on whether she would rule out talks, she said she was “not ruling in or out”.
The remarks leave Britain edging closer to a potential shift in approach despite the Taliban’s international isolation.
Nigel Farage‘s Reform UK has already said he would strike direct deals with countries including Afghanistan to take back migrants – even if that means engaging with the Taliban.
Party figures have also suggested Britain could offer financial support or aid to help facilitate returns.
But any move to engage directly with the Taliban is highly controversial given the regime’s record, which includes imposing sweeping restrictions on women and girls, including bans on secondary and university education.
The Government says they are introducing the “most sweeping changes to the asylum system in modern times”, including limiting migrants to a single appeal, fast-tracking weak claims and reforming human rights rules used to block deportations.
Nearly 60,000 illegal migrants and foreign criminals have been removed or deported since the election.
