
17 days · 9 summary articles
The European Union on Tuesday hosted Taliban officials in Brussels for closed-door talks on accelerating the deportation of Afghan migrants, a move condemned by human rights groups and lawmakers as a dangerous legitimization of a regime accused of systemic abuses.
A five-member Taliban delegation arrived in Belgium on Monday for a one-day visit restricted to Brussels, after 20 EU member states—led by Germany and Belgium—requested the meeting . The European Commission framed the discussions as strictly technical, aimed at facilitating the return of Afghan nationals deemed security threats or convicted criminals, but critics argue the engagement undermines the EU’s stated refusal to recognize the Taliban government .
The Commission declined to disclose details of the talks, citing security concerns, but confirmed the meeting was requested by 20 EU countries . Johannes Luchner, the Commission’s deputy director for Home Affairs, had traveled to Kabul earlier this year to initiate discussions with Taliban officials, initially focusing on deporting Afghans with criminal convictions but leaving open the possibility of broader returns .
The EU’s shift comes amid a broader crackdown on migration, with between 18,000 and 22,000 Afghan asylum seekers receiving deportation orders in 2025 alone . Yet the move has drawn fierce backlash. Malala Yousafzai, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate, condemned the talks in a post on X, stating, “I am shocked and deeply disturbed that the EU has invited Taliban officials to Brussels to discuss a migration deal—these are the same Taliban who banned girls from secondary education, forced them into marriages, and arrested women in Herat this month for their attire” .
Human rights organizations have also condemned the engagement. Amnesty International urged the EU to halt deportation plans, warning that Afghanistan is “not in any way a safe country for returns” and citing a deepening humanitarian crisis with 22 million people in need of assistance . Fereshta Abbasi of Human Rights Watch criticized the EU for undermining its own human rights commitments, stating, “Any dialogue with the Taliban must prioritize accountability, not the forced return of people to a dangerous place” .
The EU’s decision contrasts sharply with its 2023 sanctions against Taliban Education Minister Habibullah Agha over the regime’s ban on girls’ education beyond primary school . Just last month, the European Parliament passed a resolution condemning the Taliban’s new Penal Code, which institutionalizes gender apartheid, slavery, and corporal punishment . Despite these condemnations, the closed-door meeting in Brussels marks one of the bloc’s most significant diplomatic contacts with the Taliban since their return to power in 2021 .
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