EU Steps Up Talks With Taliban to Facilitate Afghan Deportations
DID Press: European Union is advancing preparations for talks with the Taliban aimed at increasing the deportation of Afghan asylum seekers, a move that has intensified human rights concerns across Europe despite Brussels’ continued position of non-recognition of the group.
European media reports indicate that the European Commission is preparing engagement with Taliban authorities to address irregular migration and raise return rates of Afghan nationals from EU member states, a politically sensitive initiative that has triggered widespread criticism.
According to a report by InfoMigrants, the EU is considering inviting a Taliban delegation to Brussels, although officials stress that such an invitation would not imply political recognition. No date has been set, and no visas have been issued for the delegation.
EU Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner defended the approach, saying the EU must engage with Afghanistan’s de facto authorities to manage migration pressures and handle a growing number of asylum cases, framing the policy as a matter of protecting European interests.
However, the plan has drawn sharp criticism from human rights organizations. Groups such as Amnesty International and the International Rescue Committee warn that returning asylum seekers to Afghanistan could expose them to serious risks, including persecution, given the country’s humanitarian crisis, restrictions on women, and documented human rights violations.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk has previously warned that journalists, civil society activists, former government employees, and women activists could face detention, torture, or retaliation upon return.
The report also notes that Taliban authorities have recently introduced stricter domestic policies, including tighter restrictions on public protests and controversial social regulations, further heightening international concern.
Data cited by InfoMigrants suggests that Afghans now constitute the largest group of asylum seekers in the EU, with around one million applications filed between 2013 and 2024. Several European countries, including Germany and Austria, have already begun limited deportations of Afghan nationals with criminal records.
The EU’s evolving approach reflects mounting political pressure from domestic parties and rising migration flows, placing policymakers between legal obligations, humanitarian concerns, and domestic political demands.