Eight children’s and human rights organisations, including Unicef and Amnesty International, have called on the Netherlands to stop deporting families with young children to Afghanistan.

The situation in the country is too unsafe and unstable for families and the Netherlands is taking major risks in sending failed asylum seekers back, the organisations say.

‘The security situation in Afghanistan has worsened,’ Amnesty International spokesman Horia Mosadiq said in a statement. ‘Areas which were safe are safe no longer and the number of children being killed has risen sharply… most people are living in an extremely precarious situation.’

In particular, the European Union agreement ‘Joint Way Forward’ signed last year between the EU and Afghanistan on deportations is worrying, the organisations say.

‘The Netherlands has put this agreement into action and is deporting people, including children, to Afghanistan,’ said campaign spokeswoman Martine Goeman. ‘Recently a vulnerable family with young children and a child with just an 18-year-old brother were detained and deported. The Dutch government is taking unacceptable risks.’