WARSAW, April 14: Afghan migrants in Poland are increasingly facing forced deportations amid growing concerns over their safety under Taliban rule, following Poland’s partial suspension of the right to seek asylum. Rights groups say the measure, introduced in March 2025, has been widely and increasingly applied, particularly along the Poland–Belarus border, where authorities claim they are responding to irregular migration pressures.
The law allows temporary suspension of asylum applications for those entering from Belarus, a route Poland says has been used in what it describes as a “hybrid operation” by Russia and Belarus to destabilise the country. However, critics argue that the policy has been extended beyond border cases and is now being used to deny asylum claims across the country if migrants originally entered via Belarus.
One Afghan detainee in eastern Poland told media he fled Taliban violence after his father was killed and he was beaten and detained. He claims authorities ignored his asylum requests and plan to deport him without a full review of his case. Rights groups say such practices violate international refugee protections, including obligations under the Geneva Conventions.
Legal experts, the Polish Ombudsman, and the UN refugee agency UNHCR have criticised the suspension, arguing it undermines the right to individual asylum assessment. The Council of Europe’s human rights commissioner has also raised concerns that Afghan nationals have been deported without being given the chance to apply for protection.
Polish authorities, led by Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s government, defend the policy as necessary for national security amid what they describe as a coordinated migration pressure from Belarus. EU border agency Frontex has also expressed concerns about whether deportations fully comply with asylum procedures.
Reports suggest around 120 Afghans are currently in detention in Poland, with some allegedly already deported back to Afghanistan. Critics warn many affected individuals previously worked with NATO or the former Afghan government and could face serious risk if returned. (AP)
