Over 80 Human Rights Groups Urge EU to Cancel Taliban Delegation Invite to Brussels Meeting
More than 80 Afghan and international human rights organizations have sent an open letter urging the European Union to revoke the invitation extended to representatives of the Taliban administration to a Brussels conference on migrant returns. They emphasized that the Taliban do not represent the people of Afghanistan. The groups warned that any official engagement with the Taliban, especially on European soil, could be interpreted as implicit normalization and legitimization of the regime.
The letter stated that holding such a meeting with Taliban representatives amid widespread reports of human rights violations, particularly the systematic suppression of women and girls, would have significant legal and political consequences. The signatories stressed that diplomatic engagement with this administration could undermine the standing of human rights and the declared values of the European Union.
These 84 organizations also expressed concerns about current and proposed policies by some European countries to deport Afghan migrants. They believe that the forced expulsion of Afghan citizens under present conditions raises serious questions in the framework of international law, especially regarding the principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits countries from returning individuals to territories where they face serious threats.
Signatories include the Afghanistan-Canada Cultural Association, Afghanistan Civil Society Assembly, Afghanistan Cinema House, Afghanistan Community Foundation, Afghanistan Democracy and Development Organization, Network for Freedom in Afghanistan, Afghanistan Services, Culture, and Rehabilitation Organization, International Federation for Human Rights, Displacement Assistance NGO, Civil Rights Defenders, Global Initiative against Impunity, Human Rights Activists Union, Parliamentarians for Global Action, and Women’s Initiative for Gender Justice.
These reactions intensified after the European Commission spokesperson confirmed that an invitation had been sent to Taliban representatives in Kabul, although details about the level and identities of the invited officials were not disclosed. The move has faced criticism from several Members of the European Parliament, some of whom have called for the immediate cancellation of the invitation.
Reports indicate that at least 20 European countries are reviewing or implementing deportation procedures for some Afghan nationals whose asylum requests have been rejected or who are accused of crimes, a development that has heightened concerns about the fate of returnees to Afghanistan under Taliban rule.
