Belgium to Host First EU-Taliban Talks Since Afghan Takeover

Belgium said on Monday that it had issued five one-day visas with limited territorial validity to a Taliban delegation. The meeting would be the first time the EU has hosted representatives of the Islamist movement on EU soil since they returned to power in Afghanistan five years ago.

A spokesperson for the Belgian Foreign Ministry said the exact date of the visit would remain confidential for security reasons. The European Commission described the meeting as technical and stressed that it did not constitute diplomatic recognition of Taliban rule.

According to a letter seen by Reuters, the talks will focus on “the return and readmission of Afghan nationals without a right to stay in the European Union”. European migration policy has become significantly stricter in recent years. Although Afghans in the EU have a high asylum recognition rate, the return of people convicted of serious crimes or deemed security threats has been hindered by the lack of diplomatic ties.

The planned talks drew strong opposition from human rights organizations, which are calling on the EU to abandon the negotiations. They warn that Afghanistan has become even more dangerous since 2021, as the Taliban have curtailed rights, restricted women’s freedom of movement and banned girls from education beyond primary school.

The EU has not identified which Taliban representatives were invited to the meeting. Several senior Taliban leaders are under EU sanctions.

(Reuters, Max)