Afghanistan: Taliban restrictions intensify as Swiss court allows certain deportations

Five years after the Taliban regained power in Kabul, women in Afghanistan face increasingly severe restrictions on their freedoms. Under a new penal code promulgated in January, the regime has intensified its control, including mandates for full veils and black gloves for young girls in cities like Herat. Observers describe the situation as a form of gender apartheid, characterized by extreme surveillance and the systematic reduction of women's rights.

In a separate development regarding Afghan nationals, the Swiss Federal Administrative Court (TAF) has ruled that the deportation of refugees to Afghanistan is once again possible under specific individual circumstances. While the court maintains that deportation is generally not reasonable, it established that authorities may consider repatriation if an individual possesses particularly favorable circumstances, such as being young, healthy, belonging to the Pashtun ethnic majority, having professional experience, and having a family network in Kabul.