Taliban representatives arrived in Brussels on Tuesday to discuss with the European Union about the repatriation of Afghan citizens exiled in their home country. The unprecedented meeting has sparked the anger of human rights defenders.
This is the first time that officials from the Taliban administration have been received by the EU in the European capital. Officials from Kabul told AFP, under the protection of anonymity, that they had constructive discussions with the Europeans.
Markus Lammert, spokesperson for the European Commission, also confirmed the holding of this meeting, which he called “technical”. According to the official, the discussions were held by representatives of European states and “de facto Afghan authorities, responsible for the repatriation and readmission” of migrants, reports news.ro.
According to Brussels, some EU countries would primarily like to repatriate to Afghanistan “individuals who pose a threat to security and offenders who have committed serious crimes”.
In total, 15 member states of the EU participated in this meeting, “which allowed the continuation of the technical discussions that took place in January 2026 in Kabul, especially regarding the identification of repatriates, the issuance of travel documents and their return,” stated Markus Lammert.
The NGO Amnesty International organized a protest in front of the European Commission. According to the NGO’s representatives, EU member states would undermine their credibility by organizing such meetings.
The European Commission has responded to critical voices and pointed out that the discussions are technical and do not take place directly with the leaders of the government in Afghanistan.
The Taliban government returned to power in 2021, after 20 years of war and following the withdrawal of American troops from the region. The authority was never recognized by the European Union.
EU countries have received approximately one million asylum applications filed by Afghans, during the period 2013 and 2024.