THE Taliban are “ready and willing” to work with Nigel Farage or “anyone else” to send asylum seekers who have fled their brutal regime back to Afghanistan.
Reform UK leader Farage on Tuesday announced plans to rip up human rights treaties and deport hundreds of thousands of asylum seekers, regardless of whether doing so would put them at risk of persecution, torture, or death.
Reform also suggested they could pay regimes such as the Taliban’s to accept deportations.
Following Farage’s comments, the Labour Government left the door open to a deal with the militant organisation – and on Wednesday the Conservatives did the same.
Kevin Hollinrake, the Tory Party chair, was asked on Times Radio if his party would agree a deal with the Taliban. “Well, potentially, yes,” he said.
The Taliban told the Telegraph that they would work with “anyone” to return people to Afghanistan.
“We are ready and willing to receive and embrace whoever he [Farage] sends us. We are prepared to work with anyone who can help end the struggles of Afghan refugees, as we know many of them do not have a good life abroad,” an official from the group said.
“We will not take money to accept our own people, but we welcome aid to support newcomers, since there are challenges in accommodating and feeding those returning from Iran and Pakistan.
“Afghanistan is home to all Afghans, and the Islamic Emirate is determined to make this country a place where everyone – those already here, those returning, or those being sent back from the West by Mr Farage or anyone else – can live with dignity.”
The UK does not recognise the Taliban as the legitimate government of Afghanistan.
A UK Parliament briefing outlining government policy on the country says: “Since the Taliban takeover in August 2021, Afghanistan has been experiencing a severe humanitarian crisis, and a significant deterioration in human rights.”
British troops were deployed in Afghanistan for two decades, from 2001 to 2021, fighting to dismantle the Taliban.
After the final withdrawal in 2021, the Taliban seized control of the country.
