Austria will sign an agreement with Uzbekistan next month to facilitate deportations, including returns to Afghanistan via the Central Asian country, the interior ministry said on Wednesday.
EU member states are exploring partnerships outside the bloc to manage deportations, including so-called ‘return hubs’ for failed asylum seekers, as part of wider efforts to curb migration.
While EU institutions continue to negotiate the legal framework, a group of countries—including Denmark, Austria, Greece, Germany, and the Netherlands—announced in March that they would move ahead with planning and coordination.
Austria’s interior and foreign ministers are due to travel to Uzbekistan on May 7th to sign the agreement, according to a government statement.
“It is an important agreement for the transit of people facing deportation to their home country—especially Afghanistan,” interior ministry spokesman Markus Haindl said.
Since last year, Austria has deported several Afghan nationals, marking a shift in policy following the Taliban’s return to power in 2021.
Vienna has also returned Syrian nationals to Syria after the removal of long-time ruler Bashar al-Assad in 2024.
The EU is currently working on plans to increase deportations of those without the right to remain in the bloc, including to Afghanistan, despite warnings from rights groups and the UN refugee agency.
