The European Union hosted a delegation of Taliban officials in Brussels on Tuesday for the first time since the group retook power five years ago, triggering intense backlash from human rights groups and European lawmakers. <\/p>\n
The European Commission defended the highly controversial move, framing the limited, technical-level talks as a necessary step to facilitate the deportation and repatriation of failed Afghan asylum seekers\u2014particularly those who commit crimes or are deemed security threats. The EU and its member states have strictly refused to officially recognize the Taliban government since the withdrawal of U.S.-led NATO forces in 2021, News.Az<\/a> reports, citing Reuters<\/a>.<\/p>\n Co-chaired by the European Commission and Sweden, the meeting included representatives from 15 EU member states and served as a follow-up to initial discussions held in Kabul last January. To keep the visit tightly controlled, Belgium\u2019s Foreign Ministry issued single-day visas that restricted the Afghan officials exclusively to Belgian soil, barring them from free movement within the broader Schengen zone.<\/p>\n However, the Taliban\u2019s<\/a> Foreign Ministry signaled that its ambitions for the talks extend far beyond immigration logistics. Taliban spokesperson Abdul Qahar Balkhi stated that the agenda included discussions surrounding a potential consular presence in the EU, the resumption of consular services for Afghan diaspora communities, and overall “trust-building measures.”<\/p>\n The engagement drew sharp condemnation from critics who argue the meeting implicitly legitimizes a regime notorious for severe human rights abuses. Since taking control, the Taliban have systematically stripped away liberties, banning girls from education past primary school, heavily restricting women’s freedom of movement, and enforcing strict morality laws that choke free expression and employment.<\/p>\n “Every invitation, every visa, and every official meeting sends a political signal,” warned Hannah Neumann, a German Green Party lawmaker in the European Parliament. “The Taliban are not seeking technical discussions, they are seeking legitimacy.”<\/p>\n