
Home Secretary Refuses to Rule Out Returns of Rejected Afghan Asylum Seekers to Taliban-Controlled Afghanistan
UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has refused to rule out sending rejected Afghan asylum seekers back to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, as she monitors closely talks between Kabul and EU countries about a returns programme. The policy would reverse current UK practice, which does not recognize the Taliban-led government. Afghans were the most common nationality arriving by small boats in the year ending June 2025, with 6,360 arrivals. The UN has described Afghanistan as a "graveyard for human rights" enforcing "gender apartheid".