EU Holds First Official Talks with Taliban Delegation on Deportations

The European Union hosted a Taliban delegation in Brussels on Tuesday for closed-door talks on deportations, marking the first time EU officials and member states have held formal discussions with the Afghan group in the European capital. The meeting, held at an undisclosed location outside official EU and Belgian premises, involved technical-level representatives from both sides and was attended by 15 EU member states. Belgium issued 24-hour visas to the delegation, led by Abdul Qahar Balkhi, a spokesperson for the Taliban's Foreign Ministry, who described the visit as "historic."

The talks focused on facilitating the return of Afghan asylum seekers whose applications have been rejected and those deemed security threats, as well as broader consular and diplomatic matters. EU officials framed the engagement as necessary administrative cooperation with Afghanistan's "de facto authorities," despite no European country officially recognizing the Taliban government. The meeting followed a previous discussion in Kabul in January and responded to pressure from EU member states, including a petition from 20 countries in October requesting accelerated deportation procedures. Belgium's Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot emphasized that hosting the meeting "does not equal recognition, does not equal legitimacy, and does not constitute an invitation by the Belgian government."

The engagement has drawn sharp criticism from international human rights organizations and activists. Fereshta Abbasi of Human Rights Watch argued that the EU was undermining its credibility by condemning Taliban abuses while simultaneously cooperating to forcibly return Afghans to the country. Afghan activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai expressed being "deeply shaken" by the talks, warning that Europe must not legitimize a regime responsible for severe human rights violations, including restrictions on women's rights, education bans for girls, and enforcement of restrictive morality laws.

Afghans constitute one of the largest groups of asylum seekers in the EU, with an increasing number of member states seeking to expedite deportations of rejected applicants and those convicted of crimes. However, rights advocates contend that returning individuals to Afghanistan poses serious dangers given the Taliban's record of human rights abuses since returning to power in 2021. The tension between EU migration management priorities and human rights obligations remains a central point of contention surrounding the diplomatic engagement.