Kevin Hollinrake, head of the UK Conservative Party, has said the party may consider reaching an agreement with the Taliban on deporting undocumented migrants if it wins the upcoming general election.
When asked whether the Conservatives intend to sign a deportation deal with the Taliban, Hollinrake responded, “Potentially, yes.” However, Kemi Badenoch, the party leader, declined to comment on the matter.
The rival Reform UK party has also announced it would seek an agreement with the Taliban after winning office—offering payments in exchange for accepting undocumented migrants.
Hollinrake claimed the Conservative Party’s deportation plan, released in May, is “far more comprehensive” than the one proposed by Reform UK.
These statements come despite the fact that the UK does not officially recognize the Taliban as the legitimate government of Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, a senior Taliban official told The Telegraph that the group is ready to cooperate with the UK to facilitate the return of deported migrants from Britain.
In recent weeks, the issue of deporting undocumented migrants to their countries of origin has become a central theme in UK election campaigns and political debates.
Last year alone, approximately 37,000 people—primarily from Afghanistan, Syria, Iran, Vietnam, and Eritrea—crossed the English Channel from France to the UK in small boats.
