The European Union (EU) is a group of 28 countries that operate as a cohesive economic and political block. The EU grew out of a desire to form a single European political entity to end centuries of warfare among European countries that culminated with World War II and decimated much of the continent. The EU has developed an internal single market through a standardised system of laws that apply in all member states in matters, where members have agreed to act as one.
The goals of the organization include:
- Promote peace, values and the well-being of all citizens of the EU.
- Offer freedom, security and justice without internal borders
- Sustainable development based on balanced economic growth and price stability, a highly competitive market economy with full employment and social progress, and environmental protection
- Combat social exclusion and discrimination
- Promote scientific and technological progress
- Enhance economic, social and territorial cohesion and solidarity among EU countries
- Respect its rich cultural and linguistic diversity
- Establish an economic and monetary union whose currency is the euro.
On 9th December 2021, Commissioner Ylva Johansson declared that in an internal member meeting it was decided that a group of 15 European Union member states have agreed to take in 40,000 Afghans for resettlement. According to the official documents, 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 40,000 Afghans are part of the larger 60,000 packages of resettlements and humanitarian admissions pledged by member states. The other countries including France and Sweden have made bigger pledges of 5,000 and 4,200 resettlements, but these will not necessarily be Afghans. Belgium has promised places for 425 Afghans and 1,250 others. Further, there have been reports and stats that the EU countries have already taken around 28,000 evacuees. Although the United Nation had requested the organization to take more of the Afghan people to which few of the countries had previously refused to do so.
