The EU is set to host Taliban officials in Brussels to discuss deporting Afghans, a move raising rights concerns amid a regional humanitarian crisis.
BRUSSELS: Taliban officials are expected in Brussels in coming weeks for talks on deporting Afghans from the European Union.
Sources told AFP the visit, coordinated by the European Commission and several member states, follows two trips by EU officials to Afghanistan for exploratory discussions.
“The idea is to invite them before summer,” a diplomatic source said, describing the delegation as a “technical” team.
European officials are gathering information on flights and capacity at Kabul airport. They are also speaking with the Taliban about what would happen to people sent back, according to a source involved in the discussions.
The Commission has not yet sent an official invitation to the Taliban authorities.
Stepping up deportations is a common goal among EU countries as public opinion on migration sours. Around 20 member states have been exploring how to deport Afghans, particularly those convicted of crimes.
Germany has already deported more than 100 Afghans since 2024 via charter flights facilitated by Qatar. Austria has followed suit.
The Taliban delegation’s visit was initially planned for late March but is now set for the coming weeks.
This deportation push has raised multiple concerns. Afghanistan is in a severe humanitarian crisis, compounded by drought and huge cuts in foreign aid.
The EU also does not officially recognise the Taliban authorities, who returned to power in 2021. EU countries received about one million asylum applications from Afghans between 2013 and 2024.
Afghans represented the largest group of applicants last year.
