Overview
- European Commission officials confirmed they plan to host Taliban representatives in Brussels for talks on returning Afghan nationals, with a letter to Kabul to set the date described as imminent.
- The Commission says the meeting will stay at a technical level, coordinated with Sweden, and will focus on practical hurdles such as passports, travel documents, and Kabul airport capacity.
- Because the EU does not recognize the Taliban authorities, Belgium has indicated it can issue exceptional visas to let the delegation enter as host state of EU institutions.
- Humanitarian groups and left‑leaning politicians warn the effort could endanger lives and breach non‑refoulement, citing Afghanistan’s food insecurity and the risk that delegates could identify people targeted for return.
- Pressure for a Brussels‑level approach has mounted since about twenty EU countries sought “diplomatic and practical” solutions last October, building on Germany’s charter expulsions via Qatar and Austria’s 2025 meeting with Taliban envoys.