Belgium has received visa applications from five members of a Taliban delegation invited to Brussels for talks on migration and deportations, a spokesperson for the Belgian foreign ministry said on Wednesday, as quoted by Reuters.
The spokesperson said the applications are undergoing security screening and that it remains unclear when Belgium will be able to issue the visas. He could not confirm when the meeting would take place.
The European Commission last month invited Taliban officials to Brussels to discuss the return and readmission of Afghan nationals who do not have the right to remain in the European Union, despite warnings from human rights organizations that such engagement could legitimize the Taliban and endanger Afghans.
According to a letter seen by Reuters and addressed to Abdul Qahar Balkhi, a Taliban Foreign Ministry spokesman, the meeting is scheduled for June 22-23 and will focus on “the return and readmission of Afghan nationals without a right to stay in the European Union.”
The European Commission and Sweden, which is co-hosting the talks, have said the meeting is technical in nature and does not constitute recognition of Taliban rule.
Last month, the Commission said any deportations would be limited to individuals deemed to pose security risks.
Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot, however, does not support the invitation, according to his spokesperson.
“He does not approve of the choice to invite representatives of the Taliban regime to Brussels,” the spokesperson said. “He would never accept that the Belgian government, in its own name, invite these individuals for discussions in Belgium.”
Neither the European Commission nor Sweden’s migration minister publicly confirmed the dates of the meeting.
The planned talks have drawn criticism from rights groups, which argue that increasing engagement with Taliban risks legitimizing a regime accused of widespread human rights abuses while exposing Afghans to potential harm if returned to the country.
The debate comes amid broader scrutiny of European migration policies.
