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Europe has no other option than to talk to the Taliban government about returning failed asylum-seekers to Afghanistan, the EU’s migration chief said on Thursday, defending a planned meeting in Brussels that critics say would renege on the bloc’s values.
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The European Commission has invited Taliban officials for discussions under a push to crack down on irregular migration and boost deportations, despite it not formally recognising the Taliban administration.
“It’s no option not to talk to these people in order to improve the situation,” Magnus Brunner, the EU’s commissioner for migration, told journalists.
Taliban officials were yet to be granted visas to visit Belgium and a date has not been set for the meeting but it has already caused an uproar in Brussels.
European governments shut their embassies in Kabul when the Taliban authorities returned to power in 2021 and imposed their strict interpretation of Islamic law.
Women must be almost entirely covered when they leave home and are banned from a host of public places, including parks and gyms, while girls’ education stops at age 12.
Rights groups have questioned the legality and ethics of returning migrants to a country that is in the midst of a severe humanitarian crisis, with millions facing hunger and economic hardship, according to the United Nations.
But Brunner said that talks were not tantamount to recognising the “Taliban regime” and that it was in Europe’s best interest to press ahead with them, citing interest from many member states.
“It is important to talk to them at least to improve the situation for Europeans, but also for asylum applicants, for asylum-seekers,” Brunner said.
The Belgian government told the AFP news agency the commission had given it the names of the Taliban officials expected to be part of the delegation, allowing for security services to start checks, but it was yet to receive any visa applications from them.
European governments have sought a tougher stance on migration as public opinion has hardened, fuelling far-right electoral gains across the continent.
With migrant arrivals down, the focus in Brussels has turned to improving the repatriation system.
EU countries received about a million asylum applications filed by Afghans between 2013-2024, according to the bloc’s data agency. About half as many were approved over the period.
Around 20 of the EU’s 27 member states expressed interest in returning some migrants without a right to stay, particularly those with criminal convictions, to Afghanistan in a letter last year.
Some countries have pushed ahead, with Germany deporting more than 100 Afghans with criminal convictions since 2024.
Additional sources • AFP
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