The European Commission has invited Taliban representatives to Brussels for talks aimed at facilitating the return of Afghan nationals who have been refused permission to remain in the European Union. Commission spokesman Markus Lammert described the meeting as a follow-up to a preliminary, technical discussion held in Afghanistan in January.
Lammert emphasized that the invitation to Brussels “does not by any means constitute a recognition” of the Taliban as Afghanistan’s government. The EU has not formally recognized the Taliban leadership since it regained power during the NATO withdrawal in 2021.
Requests for consultations were driven by 20 EU member and Schengen countries that appealed last year for cooperation on returns. Those governments say implementation has been minimal: of Afghans issued return orders in 2024, only around 2% were actually returned. According to the Commission, most of the individuals targeted for return had been convicted of crimes, were deemed security threats, or both.
A letter was sent seeking to set a date for the Brussels talks after Commission officials worked with Sweden to arrange the meeting. Sweden and Germany have been among the most vocal proponents of advancing deportations. In Germany’s case the push gained political urgency after a high-profile knife attack by an Afghan national who had previously been ordered to leave the country.
Returning people to Afghanistan is politically and legally fraught. European governments have struggled with returns because of the insecure situation in Afghanistan since the Taliban’s takeover and because of human rights concerns. While the Taliban remain largely isolated internationally, some governments have shifted toward limited cooperation or pragmatic engagement on specific issues.
In 2024 the European Court of Justice ruled that the Taliban’s treatment of women amounts to persecution, a judgment that affects asylum and return decisions. Lammert said every return decision must comply with EU and international law, including the protection of fundamental rights.
Beyond Europe, the broader region has seen large movements of Afghan populations. The UN refugee agency has noted that countries such as Pakistan and Iran have deported more than five million Afghans since October 2023, many of them involuntary returns. NGOs report that many people who have been sent back face extreme hardship on return, lacking homes, stable work or basic services.
The planned Brussels talks are meant to focus on practical arrangements for returns while EU officials stress legal safeguards. How member states balance security concerns, humanitarian obligations and legal constraints will determine whether the consultations lead to increased deportations or remain a technical exercise.