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Prime Minister rejects calls to bring deported Afghans back to Norway

Frazer Norwell
Frazer Norwell - [email protected]
Prime Minister rejects calls to bring deported Afghans back to Norway
Norway's Prime Minister Erna Solberg gestures as she speaks at the official NATO outreach event, 'Nato Engages' in central London on December 3, 2019, prior to the NATO alliance summit. - NATO leaders gather Tuesday for a summit to mark the alliance's 70th anniversary but with leaders feuding and name-calling over money and strategy, the mood is far from festive. (Photo by Tobias SCHWARZ / AFP)

Prime Minister Erna Solberg said on Monday that the government would not be bringing deported Afghans back to Norway in light of the deteriorating situation in the country.

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On Monday, the Norwegian PM rejected calls from the leaders of the Socialist Left Party and the Red Party to bring Afghans who have been deported after their asylum applications were turned down back to Norway.

Both Socialist Left Party leader Audun Lysbakken and Red Party leader Bjørnar Moxnes told newspaper VG that they believed that those who were deported to Afghanistan after their asylum applications were rejected should be brought back to Norway after the Taliban seized control of Kabul on Monday.

Since 2015, Norway has deported 843 people to Afghanistan who had their applications for asylum in Norway rejected.

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Solberg said on Monday that she doesn't think it is relevant to help any of the rejected applicants to return to Norway as the authorities who processed their cases concluded that it was safe to return the asylum seekers to Afghanistan.

"Those who have been returned have no personal reason to be persecuted by the Taliban or by others," Solberg added.

The prime minister said that international cooperation would be required to help those fearing their safety following the Taliban takeover.

Labour leader Jonas Gahr Støre has echoed Solberg's view and said there currently isn't a need to bring those who have had their requests for asylum rejected back to Norway. However, he did add that the situation could change in the future, requiring a shift in stance.

"The Taliban's take over does not automatically change that question. Instead, it must be assessed based on how the situation develops in the future," Støre said.

In July, Norway paused all deportations to Afghanistan after the conflict between the Taliban and Afghan forces intensified.

READ MORE: Norway suspends deportation of rejected asylum seekers to Afghanistan

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