EU preparing for Afghans already abroad to try to reach Europe, border agency chief says

A logo of EU border agency Frontex is seen at the agency's headquarters in Warsaw, Poland September 8, 2021. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel

WARSAW (Reuters) - The EU is preparing for an influx of Afghans seeking asylum, whether or not people flee en masse from the new Taliban government, the chief of the EU border agency said, noting that millions are already displaced in neighbouring countries.

In an interview, Fabrice Leggeri, director-general of border agency Frontex, told Reuters the body was preparing for a possible surge, both through traditional routes such as from Turkey to Greece, and new routes such as via Belarus, which Brussels accuses of sending illegal migrants across the frontier.