EU Delegation Holds Talks with Taliban Authorities on Afghan Refugee Deportations

According to a report by Belgian state media BRF, representatives from nearly 20 European Union member states traveled to Kabul last week to discuss the resumption of deportations of Afghan refugees. These talks focused on returning individuals whose asylum claims in Europe were rejected, who lack legal residency, or who have criminal convictions.

Among the delegation was Freddy Roosemont, head of Belgium’s Foreign Nationals Office, who traveled to Kabul alongside representatives from other European countries. The main goal of the visit was to explore practical ways to coordinate with the Taliban authorities regarding refugee deportations.

The European Union has initiated discussions with the Taliban administration to facilitate the deportation process by having the authorities verify the identities of those returned from Europe. This comes despite the Taliban administration lacking international legitimacy and ongoing human rights concerns surrounding engagement with it.

Belgium’s Ministry of Asylum and Migration stated that the Taliban authorities have informed the EU delegation of their readiness to cooperate in the identification process. However, migrant rights organizations have repeatedly warned that returning refugees to Afghanistan under Taliban rule could expose them to serious security and social risks.