Taliban Delegation Meets EU Officials in Brussels on Returns

A five-person Afghan Taliban delegation met European Commission staff and representatives from 15 EU member states in Brussels on June 23. The closed-door session addressed consular services and the return of Afghans ordered to leave EU countries. It was the first time a Taliban delegation held talks with the EU and its members in the Belgian capital.

The talks took place at an undisclosed location and were co-chaired by the European Commission and Sweden. Delegation members received visas valid for 24 hours in Belgium only after security screening, according to Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot. No EU country recognizes the Taliban government. The meeting did not occur at official Belgian or EU premises.

The Commission said the session responded to an October letter from 20 member states requesting stronger migration enforcement and higher deportation numbers. Spokesperson Markus Lammert stated the Commission had been asked to coordinate technical talks on returns.

Only 2 percent of the 22,870 Afghans ordered to return across the EU have left, Belgian Migration Minister Anneleen Van Bossuyt said. Afghanistan has taken in roughly 3 million returnees from Pakistan and Iran over the past year. The first EU-Taliban meeting occurred in January in Kabul.

The Commission maintains staff in the Afghan capital.