Switzerland’s public broadcaster has reported that four members of the Taliban recently traveled to Geneva to assist in the deportation process of Afghan nationals, particularly those labeled as “criminal offenders.”
During their stay, the Taliban delegation operated primarily at Geneva Airport, where they reportedly identified 11 individuals with criminal records and two who volunteered for return. Switzerland is planning to deport a total of 20 migrants from Afghanistan in this phase.
In late 2024, the Taliban declared that only documents issued by their regime in Kabul would be recognized, effectively stripping the Afghan embassy in Bern of its authority to issue identification papers. This shift forced Swiss authorities to engage directly with Taliban officials to process deportations.
A previous deportation attempt in December 2024 failed when the Taliban refused entry to an Afghan national forcibly returned by Switzerland.
Daniel Bach, Head of Communications at the Swiss Migration Office, acknowledged that the Taliban’s human rights record complicates deportation efforts. “We’ve concluded that protecting our citizens takes precedence,” he said, stressing national security concerns as the driving force behind these decisions.
Swiss Senator Damian Müller had previously called for direct talks with the Taliban to enable deportations.
The Swiss Migration Office told Blick newspaper that the Taliban has “recently changed entry requirements,” and authorities are currently assessing how these changes will impact the return of undocumented individuals.
