The Kabul Tribune (KT) — Belgium has issued visas to a Taliban delegation to attend a European Union-hosted migration meeting in Brussels, marking the first visit by Taliban representatives to an EU event since their return to power in 2021, Euronews reported.
The EU is preparing to host Taliban officials for talks
focused on migration, including the potential return of Afghan nationals who do
not have the legal right to remain in the bloc.
Belgian authorities approved five visas for members of the
delegation after security assessments found no evidence they posed a threat.
The visas are valid for a single day and allow entry only into Belgium, not the
wider Schengen Area.
Belgian officials declined to disclose the exact date of the
visit due to security concerns, though EU sources said the meeting was expected
shortly after the visas were issued.
The European Commission said the meeting would take place at
a technical level and does not constitute formal recognition of the Taliban.
Officials stressed that the discussions are aimed at addressing practical
migration issues rather than establishing diplomatic relations.
The planned talks have drawn criticism from human rights
organizations, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, which
warned that engagement with the Taliban could undermine the EU’s commitment to
human rights and called for accountability to remain a priority.
Belgium’s Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot said he opposed
inviting Taliban representatives but noted that Belgium could not refuse the
visas as it hosts EU institutions and was responding to an official European
request.
The talks come as European governments face increasing
pressure to tighten migration policies, while Afghanistan continues to grapple
with a humanitarian crisis. According to the United Nations, millions of
Afghans are facing food insecurity and economic hardship, with the country also
receiving large numbers of returnees from neighboring Iran and Pakistan.
