Afghan Migrants in Poland Face Forced Deportations Amid Asylum Suspension
Afghan migrants residing in Poland are confronting the terrifying prospect of forced deportations back to their homeland, which is now under Taliban control. This alarming situation has emerged as Poland continues to suspend asylum applications, leaving many individuals in legal limbo and fearing for their lives.
Legal Suspension and Human Rights Concerns
In March 2025, Poland introduced temporary restrictions on the right to seek international protection at its border with Belarus. This measure was initially intended to address security concerns related to illegal crossings. However, rights groups have warned that authorities are now overusing this suspension, effectively barring asylum applications for over a year through repeated extensions.
The suspension specifically applies to individuals who crossed into Poland illegally from Belarus. Despite this narrow scope, reports indicate that Polish authorities are applying it broadly to include migrants found anywhere in the country, as long as they initially entered via the Belarus border. This has created a significant legal grey area that affects many Afghan migrants, whose typical route to Poland involves Belarus.
Personal Stories of Fear and Desperation
One young Afghan man in his twenties, currently detained in a migrant center in eastern Poland, shared his harrowing experience with The Associated Press. He recounted how the Taliban killed his father and subjected him to detention and beatings. His family remains in hiding in Afghanistan. Despite presenting this evidence to Polish authorities, he claims they showed no concern for his safety.
"I tried more than a billion times to seek safety," he said, speaking anonymously due to fears of deportation. "But they did not care." He entered Poland from Belarus, reached Germany, was arrested there, and then returned to Poland for his asylum assessment under EU laws. Now, he faces deportation without what he believes is proper case review.
International Criticism and Legal Challenges
Legal experts, including the Polish Ombudsman and the UNHCR, have criticized Poland's suspension of asylum rights. They argue it violates international law, particularly the Geneva Conventions, which require individual assessment of protection claims. The Council of Europe's Commissioner for Human Rights, Michael O'Flaherty, expressed concerns in an April letter, noting that asylum applications are suspended whenever border guards deem a crossing irregular.
O'Flaherty highlighted a recent removal of Afghan nationals to Afghanistan without opportunity to lodge asylum applications. Even Frontex, the EU border agency, has shown discomfort; its monitors withdrew from a deportation flight to Pakistan last year after learning Polish authorities hadn't properly assessed asylum claims.
Political Context and Security Arguments
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has defended the measures as necessary due to security risks at the Belarus border, arguing that migrants are being sent by Russia and Belarus to destabilize Western countries. The EU has not rejected this argument, though it requires member states to uphold minimum rights for asylum-seekers even during orchestrated migration crises.
Approximately 120 Afghans are currently in Polish detention centers. According to the EU Agency for Asylum, about 65% of Afghan asylum applications receive protection in Europe, indicating generally successful claims elsewhere in the bloc.
Deportation Flights and NGO Interventions
Tomasz Sieniow from the Foundation Institute for the Rule of Law reported being aboard a flight last Friday where Polish authorities were deporting nine Afghans via Uzbekistan. The European Court of Human Rights had issued rulings against deporting them, but authorities only removed six from the flight. Sieniow noted that many detained Afghans had worked with the previous U.S.-allied government or NATO troops, making them particularly vulnerable to Taliban retaliation.
"Poland never analyzed their reasons for asking for protection," Sieniow emphasized, arguing these individuals and their families should not be removed. The Polish Interior Ministry has not responded to AP requests for comment on the deportations or application of the new restrictions.
The situation remains dire for Afghan migrants in Poland, caught between a suspended asylum system and the looming threat of forced return to a dangerous homeland.
