EU engages Taliban in Brussels over Afghan deportations amid rights backlash
Commission officials defend talks as necessary for migration management, while critics warn the move undermines European values and ignores humanitarian crises.
The European Union is set to hold talks in Brussels with a Taliban delegation on Tuesday regarding the return of failed Afghan asylum-seekers, a move that has triggered sharp criticism from human rights organisations. The European Commission invited the team from Kabul to discuss measures to boost deportations, despite the bloc’s longstanding refusal to formally recognise the Taliban administration.
Belgium, acting as the host country for the European institutions, issued five one-day visas to the delegation on Monday afternoon following a security assessment. A spokeswoman for the Belgian foreign minister confirmed the documents were valid only for Belgium and not the broader Schengen area, with the team understood to be travelling via Turkey. The visas were granted specifically to facilitate the Tuesday meeting, overriding objections from rights groups who had urged the commission to cancel the engagement.
Brussels and EU member states have maintained that hosting the officials does not constitute political recognition of the Kabul government. However, critics argue the outreach contradicts the bloc’s stated principles. Fereshta Abbasi of Human Rights Watch stated that EU countries were undermining their credibility by condemning Taliban abuses while simultaneously cooperating to forcibly return Afghans to a regime that imposes strict restrictions on women and girls’ education.
EU migration chief Magnus Brunner defended the decision, asserting that Brussels had no alternative but to engage with the Taliban authorities to manage the return of irregular migrants. This diplomatic engagement comes as public opinion on migration hardens across Europe, a shift that has contributed to electoral gains for far-right parties in several member states.
The scale of the issue is significant, with EU countries receiving approximately one million asylum applications from Afghans between 2013 and 2024, of which roughly half were approved. In a letter last year, around 20 of the 27 member states expressed interest in returning migrants without a right to stay, particularly those with criminal convictions. Commission spokesman Markus Lammert emphasised that the focus for member states remains on individuals who have committed serious crimes or pose a security threat.
Rights groups have raised serious concerns regarding the legality and ethics of these deportations, citing the severe humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. According to the United Nations, millions of Afghans are currently facing hunger and economic hardship, raising questions about the safety and conditions awaiting returned migrants.
