Belgium issues visas to Taliban delegation for EU meeting
EU Hosts Taliban Delegation Amid Migration and Human Rights Concerns
By Amina Ismail and Charlotte Van Campenhout
Background of the Taliban Delegation's Visit
BRUSSELS, June 22 (Reuters) - Belgium said on Monday it had issued five visas to a Taliban delegation to attend an EU meeting on migration in Brussels, in what would be the first time the EU has hosted the group since the Islamists returned to power in Afghanistan five years ago.
The visas are restricted in both geographical scope and duration, allowing travel only to Belgium and for a single day, a Belgian foreign ministry spokesperson said, adding that the date of the visit would not be disclosed for security reasons.
Two European officials said the delegation had been granted one-day visas valid only on Tuesday, June 23.
Purpose and Nature of the EU Meeting
The Commission last month invited Taliban officials to Brussels to discuss deportations of Afghan migrants, despite warnings from human rights groups that such engagement could put Afghans at risk and undermine core EU values.
The Commission said the meeting is technical and does not constitute recognition of Taliban rule.
Commission's Statement on Deportation Initiative
"Member States are looking into ways to return persons who have committed serious crimes and who are possibly a security threat. So this is the initiative that the Commission is now following up on," Commission spokesman Markus Lammert told the EU’s daily press briefing on Monday.
According to a letter seen by Reuters and addressed to Abdul Qaher Balkhi, a Taliban foreign ministry spokesman, it will focus on "the return and readmission of Afghan nationals without a right to stay in the European Union".
Taliban's Human Rights Record
Since returning to power, the Taliban have steadily curtailed rights, restricting women's freedom of movement, banning girls from education beyond primary school, and enforcing morality laws that limit free expression and access to employment.
Rights Organizations' Response
Calls to Abandon Engagement with Taliban
RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS ASK TO ABANDON PLAN
Rights organizations have asked the European Union to abandon its plans to talk with the Taliban.
Human Rights Watch's Concerns
"Any engagement with the Taliban needs to prioritize protecting human rights and accountability — not deporting people to danger there," said Fereshta Abbasi, Afghanistan researcher at Human Rights Watch.
Amnesty International's Criticism
The EU has not identified which Taliban representatives were invited to the meeting. Several senior Taliban leaders are under EU sanctions.
"The desperate scenes of people - including EU staff - fleeing Afghanistan are a recent memory. It is unconscionable that the EU would now try and deport people to Afghanistan, which has only become more dangerous in the meantime," said Eve Geddie, director of Amnesty International's European Institutions Office.
Humanitarian Crisis in Afghanistan
HUMANITARIAN CRISIS
Hundreds of thousands of Afghans have sought asylum in Europe since 2021. EU law allows for deportations of people convicted of serious crimes or deemed security threats in certain cases, but returns to Afghanistan have been limited due to the lack of diplomatic relations.
Although Afghans are among the nationalities with the highest asylum recognition rates in the EU, overall acceptance has tightened as migration policies become more restrictive.
Current Situation and Food Insecurity
Afghanistan is currently mired in a deep humanitarian crisis. According to the U.N. World Food Programme, more than 17 million Afghans - or one-third of the population - are "food insecure", while the country is absorbing tens of thousands of people returning from Iran and Pakistan.
(Reporting by Amina Ismail, additional reporting by Lili Bayer and Inti LandauroWriting by Charlotte Van CampenhoutEditing by Peter Graff and Deepa Babington)
