EU Countries Agrees to Take in Afghan Refugees

A group of 15 European Union member states have agreed to take in 40,000 Afghans for resettlement, Commissioner Ylva Johansson said after meeting interior ministers of those countries.

Germany will accept the bulk of the new arrivals, with 25,000, with the Netherlands accepting 3,159, Spain and France 2,500 each, and other countries in lower numbers,

The United Nations high commissioner for refugees had previously urged the bloc to accept 42,500 Afghans over five years, but some of the 27 member countries had resisted.

There are an estimated 85,000 Afghans who have fled their homeland into countries nearer the EU, and the Taliban’s capture of power on August 15, coupled with a fierce drought, could trigger new flows.