RASC News Agency: In the wake of a highly contentious report by one of Switzerland’s most authoritative newspapers, suggesting that Afghanistani asylum seekers could be deported on the basis of ethnic identity, Afghanistan’s top envoy to the United Nations in Geneva has announced formal diplomatic engagement with Swiss authorities to address the matter. Nasir Andisha, Afghanistan’s ambassador and permanent representative to the UN Office in Geneva, confirmed that he has officially raised the issue with the appropriate Swiss government agencies, specifically concerning the proposed deportation of asylum seekers of Pashtun ethnicity. He categorically condemned any such initiative, asserting that deportations predicated on ethnic affiliation represent a clear and egregious violation of both international migration conventions and universally accepted human rights standards. He emphasized that while no formal policy appears to be in effect, the mere proposal of such discriminatory measures contradicts Switzerland’s international commitments and the principles of equal treatment.
This diplomatic response comes in reaction to an investigative report published by the Neue Zurcher Zeitung (NZZ), one of Switzerland’s most reputable newspapers, which exposed the existence of an internal memorandum within the Swiss State Secretariat for Migration (SEM). The leaked document reportedly outlines a plan to repatriate Afghanistani asylum seekers of Pashtun descent, under the justification that, due to their ethnic affiliation with the Taliban, they purportedly face a lower level of risk upon return compared to members of other ethnic communities. The proposal emerging in the aftermath of high-profile violent incidents in Germany involving individuals of Afghanistani origin has triggered an intense debate within Switzerland’s political landscape. Although the policy has yet to be implemented, its very existence has raised profound legal and ethical concerns. Critics argue that the plan departs sharply from Switzerland’s long-standing commitment to impartiality in its asylum procedures and could set a dangerous precedent within European refugee policy.
In a related development, the Embassy of Afghanistan in Bern issued a statement on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), reiterating that following the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan, the deportation of Afghanistani nationals has largely been suspended. The embassy noted that removals have occurred only in exceptional circumstances, such as cases involving repeat criminal offenders. Although a number of European countries have quietly resumed the deportation of Afghanistani convicts, this marks the first instance in which ethnicity-based deportation has been formally contemplated as a policy measure in Europe. Legal scholars and human rights advocates warn that the institutionalization of such a practice would not only contravene the 1951 Refugee Convention but could also serve to legitimize ethnic profiling and discriminatory rhetoric under the guise of national security.
