New Delhi: In what might have been unthinkable in the past few years, Taliban officials are reportedly set to arrive in Brussels in the coming weeks in regard to talks about deporting Afghanis staying in the EU back to Afghanistan, sources told AFP. The European Union has been working on plans to deport those with no right to stay in the bloc back to Afghanistan. Such moves have come despite concerns from rights groups and the United Nations refugee agency about the rehabilitation prospects of the large refugee groups.
A coordinated attempt
The visit by Taliban officials, which is being coordinated by the European Commission and several member states, will reportedly follow two trips by European officials to Afghanistan for “exploratory” discussions on the issue. “The idea is to invite them before summer,” a diplomatic source told AFP, saying the Taliban delegation would be a “technical” team.
European officials “are gathering information about flights, about capacity at Kabul airport, they’re speaking with the Taliban about what would happen to the people sent back”, said a source involved in the discussions. The Taliban delegation’s visit was initially planned for late March, but is now set for the coming weeks, sources told AFP, confirming a report by news site Euractiv. It is being reported that at this stage, the Europe Commission has not yet sent an official invitation to the Taliban authorities.
Afghan refugee situation in EU
EU countries received about a million asylum applications filed by Afghans between 2013 and 2024 and as the problem has progressed with no signs of slowing down, around 20 EU countries are exploring ways to deport Afghans. This is particularly for those Afghans convicted of crimes in the Union, but also increasingly for those living illegally.
Germany has already started deporting more than 100 Afghans since 2024, via charter flights facilitated by Qatar and Austria has followed suit.