The European Union is preparing to invite Taliban officials to Brussels for technical talks on the return of Afghan migrants from Europe, APF reported, quoting officials from European Commission.
The report says that European Commission officials were working on a possible follow-up meeting in Brussels with Taliban officials.
According to sources cited by AFP, a letter to Taliban in Kabul was expected to be sent “imminently” to arrange the talks, which are being coordinated with Sweden.
No date has yet been announced.
The planned discussions come as European governments increasingly tighten migration policies and explore ways to deport rejected asylum seekers and migrants with criminal convictions to Afghanistan.
Around 20 European Union member states have been examining possible mechanisms for returning Afghans, according to AFP.
In a letter sent to the European Union in October, several member states urged Brussels to develop diplomatic and practical arrangements to facilitate returns.
The European Commission said a technical meeting on the issue had already taken place in Kabul in January 2026.
The proposed Brussels talks would likely focus on logistical and administrative matters, including travel documentation, passport issuance and coordination for deportation flights, according to diplomatic sources cited by AFP.
European officials who previously traveled to Afghanistan also discussed operational issues such as Kabul airport’s handling capacity and other technical details tied to migrant returns, AFP reported.
The talks underscore the increasingly delicate balance European governments face as they seek to reduce migration while avoiding formal political recognition of the Taliban, who returned to power in 2021.
The European Union does not recognize the Taliban rule, and many Western countries have maintained diplomatic restrictions because of the Taliban’s human rights record, particularly restrictions on women and girls.
Still, several European governments have gradually expanded limited technical engagement with Taliban on migration and security matters.
According to AFP, Taliban officials would likely require special exemptions from Belgian authorities to travel to Brussels because Belgium hosts European Union institutions.
The debate over Afghan returns has intensified as public attitudes toward migration have hardened across Europe.
Germany has emerged as one of the leading advocates for deportations of Afghan migrants convicted of crimes. Since 2024, Germany has deported more than 100 Afghans through charter flights facilitated by Qatar, AFP reported.
Austria has also held direct contacts with Taliban representatives, hosting a Taliban delegation in Vienna last year.
Supporters of deportations argue that European governments must enforce migration laws and remove individuals deemed security threats.
But rights organizations and humanitarian groups have sharply criticized the policy push, warning that Afghanistan remains deeply unstable and economically devastated.
“Deporting Afghans back to a country where almost half the population cannot feed themselves is not a migration policy; it is a decision that could cost lives,” Lisa Owen, Afghanistan director for the International Rescue Committee, told AFP.
Human rights groups have also expressed concern that direct engagement with Taliban officials could expose Afghan asylum seekers and dissidents to additional risks.
Since 2023, more than five million Afghans have returned from neighboring countries, particularly Pakistan and Iran, many under pressure or through forced deportations.
International organizations say many returnees face severe hardship, including unemployment, homelessness and limited access to aid.
According to reports, Afghans filed about one million asylum applications across the bloc between 2013 and 2024, making them one of the largest groups of asylum seekers in Europe.
