Bennett: EU Talks with Taliban in Brussels Would “Insult Afghans”

DID Press: UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, has warned that any engagement between the European Union and the Taliban in Brussels would be a “serious insult” to the Afghan people.

Bennett expressed support for remarks by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk and reiterated his opposition to accelerated deportation policies targeting Afghan asylum seekers in Europe.

He stressed that respect for international human rights law and refugee protection standards must remain a core principle, adding that Afghan nationals should not be forcibly returned to what he described as an unsafe environment.

Bennett further cautioned that hosting meetings with Taliban representatives in Brussels would be perceived as legitimizing an administration accused of systematic human rights violations, particularly against women and girls.

The comments come amid reported EU plans to engage with Taliban officials in discussions related to migration and deportation policy.