Belgium Reports No Visa Requests from Taliban Delegation for Brussels Migrant Meeting
According to the European news network Euractiv, a Taliban delegation was scheduled to travel to Brussels this month at the invitation of the European Commission. However, Belgian officials have stated that the visa issuance process begins only after an official application is submitted by the individuals concerned, and this process may take several weeks.
A spokesperson for the Belgian Foreign Ministry emphasized, “Our services have not yet received any visa application from members of the Taliban delegation concerning the European Commission’s invitation. Such applications must be submitted by the individuals themselves.” The spokesperson added that the names of the probable members of this delegation were handed over to Belgian authorities several weeks ago, and preliminary security checks have been initiated.
According to the report, if the meeting takes place, it will be held at a technical level without the presence of political representatives. The focus will be on the return of Afghan migrants accused of crimes and those considered security threats. It is expected that Abdul Qahar Balkhi, the spokesperson for the Taliban Foreign Ministry, will lead the delegation; however, the Taliban have not yet made any statements regarding this matter.
The proposal to potentially host Taliban representatives in Brussels has faced critical reactions across Europe. Several members of the European Parliament, Belgian politicians, and civil society organizations have warned that any official engagement could be perceived as legitimizing an administration that faces significant international criticism for extensive restrictions on fundamental rights and freedoms, especially those of women and girls.
In this context, last week, more than 30 members of the European Parliament from various political factions sent a letter to the Belgian Foreign Minister demanding the rejection of any possible visa application from the Taliban delegation. This issue has once again centered the global debate on how the international community should interact with the Taliban administration.
The spokesperson for the Belgian Foreign Ministry reiterated that to date, no visa application has been received from the Taliban delegation to travel to Brussels and participate in the technical meeting related to migrants, and consequently, no visas have been issued.
