The European Union held an unprecedented meeting in Brussels on Tuesday with a five-member Taliban delegation, prompting sharp criticism from human rights groups. The talks focused on how to return rejected Afghan asylum seekers from Europe to Afghanistan, and on practical issues such as identification papers and travel documents.
The European Commission confirmed it invited the Taliban officials even though the EU does not formally recognize their government. Brussels and Belgium also issued the delegation three one-day entry visas after a security review. The Commission said 15 EU member states took part in the “technical-level” meeting, which was jointly led with Sweden.
Officials said the goal was to strengthen returns of Afghans who have no legal right to stay in Europe and to address the fact that fewer than 30% of people ordered to leave the EU actually do so. EU data show that member states handled about 1 million asylum applications from Afghans between 2013 and 2024, with roughly half approved. The EU said the discussions followed a January visit by senior officials to Afghanistan and were meant to let member states that organize returns build contact with Taliban authorities.
Taliban foreign ministry spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi said the meeting could open “new pathways for positive interaction” and expand cooperation based on “mutual respect and shared interests.” Swedish Migration Minister Johan Forssell defended the talks, saying the ability to return people without a right to remain is a core part of a credible asylum system. Critics, including Amnesty International and MEP Cecilia Strada, called the meeting a “disgrace” and warned it legitimized a regime that strips women and girls of rights. Malala Yousafzai said she was “deeply shocked and worried,” adding that the Taliban has “erased women and girls from public life.”
