EU–Taliban Talks Planned in Brussels Over Afghan Deportations

DID Press: Officials from European Union are expected to hold talks with representatives of the Taliban in Brussels in the coming weeks to discuss the deportation of Afghan nationals, a move raising human rights concerns amid Afghanistan’s ongoing humanitarian crisis.

According to diplomatic sources, the meeting—coordinated by the European Commission and several member states—was planned following two recent visits by European officials to Afghanistan for preliminary discussions. One diplomatic source said the plan is to invite the delegation before summer, adding that the visiting team would be largely “technical” in nature.

European officials are currently gathering information on flight operations and capacity at Hamid Karzai International Airport, while also discussing with Taliban authorities the fate of individuals returned to Afghanistan.

However, the European Commission has not yet issued a formal invitation to Taliban officials. Rising deportations have become a shared objective among EU member states, particularly as public attitudes toward migration have hardened. Around 20 member countries are examining ways to return Afghan nationals, especially those convicted of crimes.

Meanwhile, Germany has deported more than 100 Afghan citizens since 2024 via charter flights conducted in cooperation with Qatar, while Austria has undertaken similar measures.

The Taliban delegation’s visit was initially scheduled for late March but has now been postponed to the coming weeks.

These diplomatic efforts are taking place as Afghanistan faces a severe humanitarian crisis intensified by drought and a sharp decline in foreign aid. The European Union, however, still does not formally recognize the Taliban government.

Statistics show that EU countries received roughly one million asylum applications from Afghan citizens between 2013 and 2024, with Afghans forming the largest group of asylum seekers last year.