Belgium Joins Countries Negotiating with Taliban

DID Press: Belgium, like several other European countries, decided to talk with Taliban government to facilitate the return of Afghanistani illegal migrants.

Continuing efforts by some European countries to deport Afghanistani migrants, Belgium announced its intention to negotiate with the Taliban to repatriate Afghanistani citizens who are living illegally in the country or have committed crimes.

Annelies Van Bossuyt, Belgium’s Minister of Migration and Asylum, confirmed the move, saying: “Many European Union countries face serious challenges in returning Afghanistani migrants, and it is time to break this deadlock through a joint coalition.”

Belgium will draw on the experiences of countries such as Austria, Germany, and Switzerland, which in recent months have held talks with the Taliban government and even accepted the presence of Taliban diplomats to facilitate the deportation process, she added.

According to a report from Austria’s Federal Office for Immigration and Asylum, representatives of the country traveled to Kabul earlier this year to hold discussions on the matter.