Belgium is pressing the European Union to endorse a coordinated programme to process returns of Afghan nationals whose asylum claims have been rejected, according to a report from Belgian outlet rapporteur.com.

The push centres on securing a Council-level position before the European Commission opens formal readmission channels with Kabul. The Belgian government's framing, as reported by rapporteur.com, presents the Afghan question as the most visible test of the EU's revised Returns Directive.

What does Belgium want Brussels to approve?

Belgian officials want EU interior ministers to adopt a common position treating specific categories of Afghan applicants as return-eligible. The position would lift the de facto suspension most EU member states have applied since the Taliban takeover in August 2021.

The Belgian package reportedly has three strands:

• A shared EU assessment on the conditions for safe returns for defined applicant categories
• Joint diplomatic engagement with the authorities controlling Kabul to negotiate readmission
• Pooled logistics, including charter flights and reception capacity at transit hubs

Who would the framework cover?

The proposal would apply to Afghans whose protection claims have received a final rejection under the Common European Asylum System. It would also extend to individuals whose asylum procedures have closed without a positive decision and who hold no other lawful status.

Afghans with valid refugee status, subsidiary protection, or national humanitarian permits would fall outside the programme.

Why this matters now

Belgium has framed the initiative as the practical implementation of the EU Migration and Asylum Pact, agreed in 2024 and applied in phases through 2026. The Pact obliges member states to process returns more efficiently and narrows procedural delays for rejected applicants.

Returns to Afghanistan have been the most visible gap in the Pact's rollout. Most EU governments halted forced removals after August 2021. Voluntary returns, run mainly through the International Organization for Migration, have continued but at limited scale.

Belgium's role in EU migration talks

Belgium held the Council of the EU Presidency from January to June 2024 and remains an active voice in Justice and Home Affairs discussions. The interior ministry has signalled it intends to put the Afghan returns question on the agenda at upcoming ministerial meetings.

A Belgian interior ministry spokesperson told rapporteur.com that fragmented national approaches have slowed removals and diluted the EU's credibility on migration management.

Practical considerations for any deal

Forced returns require a functioning readmission agreement with the receiving state. The EU does not formally recognise the Taliban government and maintains limited diplomatic contact through its special envoy based in Doha.

Several member states, including Germany, have run voluntary return programmes for rejected Afghan applicants. Charter flights have operated intermittently since 2022 from multiple EU capitals.

For the Belgian-led proposal to move forward, a qualified majority of member states would need to back the common position before the Commission opens formal readmission talks. National parliaments in destination states would also need to endorse any operational framework.

Human rights dimensions

Human rights organisations have flagged the risks returnees face, particularly women, ethnic minorities, and former government employees. Independent post-return monitoring, an established IOM practice, would need to be a core element of any EU programme.

Legal accountability would rest with each member state for returns conducted under its jurisdiction.

What is not yet known

The rapporteur.com report does not specify the number of Afghans the Belgian government estimates would be covered, the proposed timeline, or the exact legal instrument Belgium intends to use.

Neither the Belgian interior ministry nor the European Commission's home affairs spokesperson has issued a public statement on the proposal. Confirmation of any timeline awaits an official Council announcement.