Representatives of the Taliban have made their first official visit to the European Union

A delegation from the Afghan Taliban government made an unprecedented visit to Brussels this week, where it met with representatives of the European Union as part of discussions notably focused on the return of Afghan migrants whose asylum requests have been denied.

This is the first meeting of its kind on European soil since the Taliban took power in Afghanistan in August 2021. According to European officials, the exchanges took place at a technical level and focused on consular services as well as on arrangements for the return of Afghan nationals who no longer have the right to stay in the Union.

The Afghan delegation was led by Abdul Qahar Balkhi, spokesperson for the Taliban Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Taliban presented this meeting as an important step in developing their relations with European countries and in improving consular assistance for Afghans living in Europe.

According to the EU, the discussions brought together representatives from fifteen member states and focused on the issue of repatriating irregular migrants, particularly those considered a security threat or convicted of offences. Since 2013, nearly one million asylum requests have been submitted by Afghan nationals in the European Union, with approximately half receiving a positive response.

This initiative comes as several European countries are calling for a tougher migration policy and an acceleration of deportation procedures. European authorities point out that the low return rate of Afghan migrants constitutes a growing challenge for member states.

The meeting, however, has sparked numerous criticisms. Human rights organizations, European parliamentarians, and several public figures see it as a risk of gradually legitimizing the Taliban regime. They believe that a dialogue with Kabul could weaken the European position on fundamental rights violations, particularly those affecting Afghan women and girls.

The activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai condemned the "troubling" initiative, believing that it could be interpreted as a form of support for a regime accused of serious human rights violations.

Brussels, for its part, asserts that these exchanges in no way constitute an official recognition of the Taliban. Nevertheless, the holding of this meeting in the European capital is seen by many observers as a sign of a shift in the Union’s approach toward the Taliban authorities, against a backdrop marked both by migration issues and the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.