KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Switzerland has deported three more Afghan nationals convicted of crimes, bringing the total to five since last year.
According to the SRF Swiss Radio and Television, the Swiss State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) confirmed the removals, saying that all individuals had been sentenced to over a year in prison and were ordered to leave upon completing their sentences.
Switzerland had paused deportations to Afghanistan due to the Taliban takeover and COVID-19 restrictions. With commercial flights to Kabul now operational, deportations have resumed for convicted criminals. SEM officials say around 20 more individuals are set to be deported in the coming months.
Swiss police officers do not escort deportees to Kabul due to security concerns. Instead, they accompany them to a transfer airport, ensuring they board their onward flight. Authorities have not disclosed further details for security reasons.
Human rights organizations have criticized the deportations.
Amnesty International warned that Afghanistan’s human rights situation remains poor and that the safety of deported individuals cannot be guaranteed. The SEM maintains that each case is reviewed individually to assess risks but does not conduct medical or humanitarian evaluations for convicted criminals facing deportation.
Afghans accounted for the highest number of asylum applications in Switzerland last year, with most applicants receiving refugee status or temporary admission. Rejected asylum seekers often move to other European countries or are transferred under the Dublin Agreement.
As of January, around 40 Afghans in Switzerland remain subject to deportation, while nearly 14,000 have been granted temporary protection.
Swiss authorities have stated that forced returns will continue to be limited to individuals with criminal convictions, citing an improved security situation but acknowledging ongoing economic and social challenges in Afghanistan.
