France deported Afghan migrants, MPs critical
France deported nine Afghan migrants on a charter flight on Wednesday. It was the second expulsion of Afghans by charter plane since the closing in September of the so-called “jungle”, a camp in Calais where many migrants and refugees assembled, hoping to cross the Channel to Britain.
The refugees’ aid group Cimade said the Afghans had been transferred Tuesday from a camp in the northern town of Calais to Paris, where the British charter plane picked them up at Charles de Gaulle airport. Cimade earlier called on the government to reverse the decision.
The Afghan embassy in Paris also objected to the expulsions, saying that they had issued no laissez-passer documents to the migrants, whom it confirmed did not want to go home.
France’s Immigration Minister Eric Besson defended the expulsions, insisting that proper procedures had been followed.
But the expulsion revealed a split within the French government.
Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner told parliament Wednesday that he was against the programme, and promised that he would issue more visas to Afghans wanting to come and study in France than Besson can expel.
Furthermore, European Union Parliament Members protested Tuesday against efforts to expel Afghan migrants.
“One cannot but notice that France and Great Britain are looking to persist in joint expulsion operations,” said a petition by almost 50 members of the European parliament from across the political spectrum.
They called for an end to the expulsions which they said violated the principle of “non-refoulement” (not turning away), calling for a freeze on any more forced returns to insurgency-hit Afghanistan.
In October, three Afghans from France and 24 from Britain were sent back to their war-torn country, drawing protests from the left-wing opposition and humanitarian groups.
Refugees Daily 16 December 2009 (in English)
Refugees Daily 15 December 2009 (in English)
Refugees Daily 15 December 2009 (in English)
Refugees Daily 15 December 2009 (in English)
Swedish EU-Presidency 2009
This website is no longer updated. It was a UNHCR Stockholm initiative meant to facilitate the monitoring of refugee and asylum issues during Sweden's European Union Presidency 1 July – 31 December 2009.
