Afghan Resistance Group Condemns Taliban Penal Code As Medieval

Johan Forssell called on European Union member states to agree on a common mechanism for issuing identity and travel documents to rejected Afghan asylum seekers and Afghan nationals convicted of crimes.

Forssell said the EU is unwilling to enter formal negotiations or political agreements with the Taliban, arguing that such steps would confer legitimacy on the group. However, he said member states should engage at a technical level to resolve documentation issues so deportations can be carried out more efficiently.

Speaking to The Associated Press on the sidelines of an informal meeting of EU justice and interior ministers in Cyprus, Forssell said that the deportation of Afghan asylum seekers is a major concern, because there are numerous cases in which Afghans have committed crimes in Sweden, yet deporting them is almost impossible.

He said similar policies apply to Syrian migrants but added that Afghan nationals are currently a priority for the Swedish government.

Unrecognised Embassies Complicate Returns

Forssell said Afghan nationals abroad are unable to obtain identity cards or passports because most Afghan embassies in Europe are not recognised by the Taliban.

He said the European Union’s delegation in Kabul has recently held discussions with Taliban officials on issuing passports and identity documents for Afghan nationals living in European countries, describing the talks as “a very positive first step.”

According to Forssell, EU countries are united in seeking additional measures to speed up the deportation of rejected Afghan asylum seekers and Afghan nationals convicted of crimes.

He added that more than half of Afghan asylum applications are expected to be rejected and said those applicants “must return to their country.”

The Associated Press reported that Magnus Brunner, the EU commissioner for home affairs and migration, also confirmed that EU member states are holding technical-level talks with Taliban authorities in Afghanistan to facilitate the return of rejected asylum seekers.

In a statement released on Thursday, the EU said it had signed an agreement with the United Nations Development Programme to implement the programme’s second phase in cooperation with local partners. The EU said the new phase builds on the results and lessons of the initial stage.

The programme will support Afghan women across different stages of economic activity, including the establishment and expansion of small businesses, as well as access to financial and technical services adapted to Afghanistan’s social and economic context.

According to the statement, the initiative aims to remove barriers to women’s participation in the economy, improve access for women entrepreneurs to financial resources and markets, and strengthen income-generating skills.

The EU said the programme will promote “culturally appropriate and Sharia-compliant financial mechanisms,” alongside business development support, mentorship and market linkages.

The project will be implemented mainly in underserved provinces in central Afghanistan, where the EU says women’s participation in the labour force remains low and access to financial services is limited.

According to the sources, the guesthouse, which accommodates about 80 people, has been monitored for the past four days, with residents repeatedly questioned by Taliban members. Those staying there were deported to Afghanistan about two months ago after their Pakistani visas expired, despite holding German admission pledges, and were subsequently housed in a guesthouse in central Kabul.

The sources said the cost of accommodation is being covered by the German government.

Taliban interrogators questioned residents about their backgrounds, the timing of their return from Pakistan, the length of their stay there, their reasons for seeking relocation to Germany and the entity paying their expenses. Residents were reportedly barred from contacting anyone outside the guesthouse, and internal meetings among them were also prohibited.

The sources added that Taliban members have maintained a constant presence at the site, converting one room into an interrogation office. Families were filmed during questioning, and computers were confiscated.

On Wednesday, Taliban forces reportedly surrounded the guesthouse with 13 vehicles before entering the building.

The sources also said that four residents, including two LGBTQ individuals, went missing after the raid, and no information has been provided about their whereabouts.

Those staying at the guesthouse include former local staff of Germany, judges, human rights activists, women’s rights activists, LGBTQ individuals and journalists.

Separately, several Afghans holding German admission pledges including a family of seven scheduled to be transferred from Islamabad to Kabul were returned at the last minute to a guesthouse at Islamabad airport following intervention by the German government.

German media have reported that the security situation for Afghans with German admission pledges in both Kabul and Pakistan has deteriorated. Germany’s interior minister is seeking to reduce migration pressures while also grappling with commitments made by the previous government to Afghans promised admission.

Human rights activists accuse the German government of leaving Afghans with admission pledges in limbo and exposing some of them to the risk of serious harm or death.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Commission said an estimated 239 million people worldwide currently require humanitarian assistance, noting that many donors have reduced their humanitarian budgets.

The European Union said the funding is targeted at communities with the greatest needs and will provide life-saving food assistance, emergency shelter, essential healthcare, support for the most vulnerable, and help for children’s education in crisis-affected areas.

The EU added that, despite other donors scaling back and humanitarian operations facing unprecedented pressure, it remains committed to supporting people in need worldwide.

According to the Commission, €557 million has been allocated to west and central Africa, the Lake Chad Basin, north-west Nigeria, central Africa, southern Africa and the Great Lakes region. At least €448 million has been earmarked for the Middle East, particularly for those in Gaza, Iraq, Yemen, Syria and Lebanon.

About €145 million has been allocated for humanitarian needs in Ukraine this year. The Commission said several countries in south-east Asia, South America and North Africa are also included in the 2026 humanitarian assistance package.

In addition, more than €415 million has been set aside to respond to sudden global emergencies and to maintain supply chains for essential humanitarian needs.

A spokesperson for the Taliban’s Ministry of Public Works said snow depth in North Salang has exceeded four metres, while in South Salang it has reached nearly three metres. Mohammad Ashraf Haqshenas said ongoing storms and snowfall have hampered snow-clearing operations in the area.

Several regional roads have also been closed. Routes linking Bamiyan province to the districts of Yakaolang and Panjab are shut, as are roads connecting Parwan and Ghor provinces. In Daikundi province, the Khadir, Qonaq, Kumi and Shahristan–Miramor routes have been closed. Roads in several districts of Ghazni province, including Nawur, Ajristan, Malistan and Jaghori, are also impassable.

Taliban officials said routes connecting Khost and Paktia provinces have likewise been closed due to severe weather.

Images published from Maidan Wardak province show heavy snowfall, while snow continues to fall in Herat province.

The Ministry of Public Works has urged travellers and drivers to check road conditions before setting out and to carry essential supplies, including warm clothing, food, fuel and tyre chains, when travelling on snow-covered routes.