WRITTEN QUESTION E-2565/02 by Anna Karamanou (PSE) to the Council. Mass repatriation of Afghan refugees.
Date: 2002-09-16
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Afghanistan, aid policy, aid to refugees, forced migration, human rights, the EU's international role

3.7.2003

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Official Journal of the European Union

C 155 E/33

Against this background, the Council believes that no further action is needed at this time, since the
freedom of movement of the ‘Women in Black’ has since been restored to normal. The Council joins the
international community in Bosnia and Herzegovina in regretting what happened to the ‘Women in Black’
on 11 July 2002. Their message of
inter-ethnic, woman-to-woman solidarity would have added an
important dimension to the commemoration service.

The Council defers to the Commission for the part of the question which concerns its competence.

(2003/C 155 E/036)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2565/02

by Anna Karamanou (PSE) to the Council

(16 September 2002)

Subject: Mass repatriation of Afghan refugees

The prevailing insecurity in Afghanistan, which is related to the climate of violence in the country (cid:1)
ongoing conflict, crime, banditry, the violation of women’s rights, the presence of mines and the American
forces’ bombing campaign (cid:1) together with the incapacity to absorb repatriated Afghans, are a direct threat
to the safe return of Afghan refugees who are displaced internally in the country and abroad.

In its report entitled ‘Continuing need for protection and standards for return of Afghan refugees’, Amnesty
International expresses concern at the policy of mass repatriation promoted by the UNHCR in cooperation
with the countries sheltering Afghan refugees, stressing that, in such circumstances, international standards
should apply, as they are of vital importance to ensure that Afghan refugees can return in safety and
dignity. Otherwise, the organisation warns that the situation may result in renewed cycles of displacement.

the Council

Will
the use of compulsory and coercive measures to return to
Afghanistan refugees who may suffer serious human rights abuses, and to ensure that international
standards of protection for refugees are applied?

intervene to prevent

Reply

(20 February 2003)

Following the collapse of the Taliban regime and the setting up of new political

1.
institutions in
Afghanistan, the question of the adoption of programmes for the repatriation of Afghan nationals now in
the territory of EU Member States is being examined by the Member States concerned and at EU level.
Some Member States have already set up such programmes.

2.
As regards EU action in this area, it should be recalled that the Seville European Council asked the
Council to adopt, before the end of 2002, a repatriation programme based on the Commission’s Green
Paper on return and incorporating ‘the best possible facilities for early return to Afghanistan’ (Conclusion
30).

With a view to implementing the Seville conclusions, the Danish Presidency has submitted a draft
programme on return to Afghanistan. It is currently being examined by the competent Council bodies and
was submitted to the Council for an initial exchange of views on 15 October 2002. The Council adopted
the Plan at its meeting on 28 November 2002.

The Council notes that this Plan for return to Afghanistan should be seen in the context of the creation of
a general EU programme, which is also in progress. In adopting this Plan, the Council considered that, at
the present time, return to Afghanistan from the EU should be initiated and that the status of Afghans who
decide not to avail themselves of voluntary repatriation shall continue to be governed by the relevant
national legislation in full respect of the 1951 Convention relating to the status of refugees and its 1967

C 155 E/34

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3.7.2003

Protocol. The Council also acknowledged the important active role that can be played by Member States
individually, as well as by the Community as a whole. To this end, the Plan identifies where coordination
at European level will have the greatest
impact and where complementarity of Member State and
Community actions can be sought. The responsibility for implementing the Plan rests mainly with Member
States, while the role of the Commission is more coordinative in nature.

(2003/C 155 E/037)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2586/02

by Bruno Gollnisch (NI) to the Council

(10 September 2002)

Subject: Identity checks on air passengers

Passengers on French domestic flights have their identity checked repeatedly. Passengers who have flown
from to Lyons from Paris will thus have been checked when they checked in their luggage and again when
they boarded the aircraft, whereas no such identity checks are carried out, either at the time of departure
or on arrival, on passengers flying from Brussels, Berlin, Madrid, etc.

Do airlines insist on these checks in order to keep track of fares or do the French authorities require them
to be carried out for security reasons? In either case, does the Council consider the checks to be
compatible with European rules?

If exceptions are having to be made to the Schengen provisions for security reasons, could the Council
explain why the resulting security regulations are (cid:1) paradoxically (cid:1) tighter on domestic flights than on
international flights?

Reply

(4 March 2003)

The Council does not comment on the compatibility with Community legislation of
arrangements made by the Member States in relation to checks on travellers.

the internal

The question raised by the Honourable Member should be addressed to the Commission, which is the
guardian of the Treaties.

(2003/C 155 E/038)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2587/02

by Ingo Schmitt (PPE-DE) to the Council

(11 September 2002)

Subject: Directed energy weapons

Is the Council aware of the continued existence of large numbers of directed energy and radio frequency
weapons (from the Cold War period), many of them in private hands?

Will any checks be carried out in this connection?

Has the Council acted on Parliament’s resolution A4-0005/1999, and if so, what action has it taken?