The EU will hold Taliban officials for the first time in talks on expulsion European Union news

The Taliban government is not recognized by any European country, despite the meeting in Brussels with EU officials.

A Taliban delegation has held talks with the European Union in Brussels for the first time, in a visit widely criticized by activists.

Tuesday’s meeting focused on diplomatic efforts and providing “honorable returns” to Afghans in Europe, a Taliban official said. Abdul Qahar Balkhi, a spokesman for the Taliban’s Foreign Ministry, called the visit “historic,” saying it was the first time a delegation from the Afghan government had met with the European Commission and EU countries in Brussels.

The EU and its member states have not recognized the Taliban government since the group returned to power in 2021 after a 20-year war against the US-backed government.

Brussels has said its decision to hold limited talks with Afghanistan’s “de facto authorities” is necessary to deport asylum seekers who have committed crimes or are considered dangerous.

A spokesman for the European Commission said EU officials and 15 EU countries attended the Brussels meeting at an undisclosed location as a follow-up to the previous meeting held in Kabul in January.

“The Commission and Sweden led a technical meeting today in Brussels with the technical representatives of the Afghan authorities who are responsible for returning and studying,” he said.

The spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan explained what he wants to do, saying that it includes the presence of the embassy in the EU, the resumption of the work of the Afghan embassy there, and the “need for strengthening measures”.

Afghans are one of the largest groups of refugees seeking asylum in the EU, but an increasing number of governments want to speed up and increase deportations of those whose claims are rejected or who commit crimes in their host countries.

Rights groups have criticized the meeting as an endorsement of the Taliban and say it violates EU human rights standards and could put people in Europe and Afghanistan at risk.

“Any engagement with the Taliban must prioritize human rights protection and accountability — not driving people out of harm’s way,” said Fereshta Abbasi, a researcher at Human Rights Watch. “EU countries are compromising their integrity by condemning the Taliban’s brutality and pursuing an alternative response, while supporting the Taliban to forcibly repatriate Afghans.”

Since not a single EU country recognizes the Taliban, the meeting in Brussels represents an opening for the group, which seized power five years ago. Since then, the Taliban have it restricted women’s rights and freedom of movement, banned girls from education beyond primary school is compulsory moral code which limit freedom of expression and access to employment.

Afghan freedom fighter and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai said on Monday she was “deeply shocked” that the EU was negotiating with the Taliban.

“Europe must not accept a government that is responsible for the biggest human rights crisis in the world.” Any cooperation with the Taliban must begin and end with the rights of Afghan women and girls,” he wrote on X.