Officials from the European Commission and 15 member states discreetly met with a Taliban delegation on Tuesday in an attempt to speed up the deportation of Afghan migrants to the country.
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The meeting in Brussels, whose details and venue were not disclosed, was harshly criticised by progressive lawmakers and civil society organisations for liaising with an authoritarian regime that regularly violates human rights.
The gathering was co-chaired by Sweden, one of the countries with the largest Afghan population per capita. It was held outside the Commission’s institutional premises and took place on a strictly technical level because of the lack of recognition of the Taliban government that took over the country in 2021.
The discussions focused on the return of irregular Afghan migrants “who have committed serious crimes or pose a security threat”, a Commission spokesperson said in a statement. European countries are often unable to repatriate these individuals as the Afghan authorities do not accept them back.
“It is incredibly important that these criminals are deported,” Swedish Migration Minister Johan Forssell told local media. “And that is not possible today. They do not want to participate. They do not want to go home.”
In Sweden, roughly 200 Afghan nationals are awaiting deportation having been convicted of serious crimes, such as aggravated rape and aggravated drug trafficking, Forssell explained. Amid the criticism, he argued that his government must negotiate with dictatorships in certain situations to “protect Swedish interests”.
The Commission does not have data on how many irregular Afghans are responsible for serious crimes or pose a security threat across Europe.
However, the invitation to the Taliban, seen by Euronews, only mentions the return of “Afghan nationals with no right to stay in the EU”, without mentioning the criminal component. The executive did not confirm the authenticity of the document.
Talks with the Taliban are part of a broader EU strategy to increase the return of irregular migrants to their countries of origin, a rate that currently stands at 29 percent and has barely moved in recent years.
Deportations have proven particularly difficult for Afghans, who were among the top nationalities served with return orders in 2025. According to Eurostat, out of the 14,270 Afghan nationals ordered to leave the bloc in the first nine months of last year, only 340 were effectively sent back, representing a 2 percent return rate.
Meanwhile, arrivals into Europe continue. More than 3,300 Afghans irregularly crossed EU borders in the first four months of 2026, mostly through the Eastern Mediterranean route, and over 63,000 Afghan nationals sought asylum in the EU in 2025 – 10 percent of the overall number of asylum seekers.
This is only a fraction of the Afghan diaspora who fled the 2021 Taliban takeover. More than 90 percent of displaced Afghans are estimated to live in neighbouring countries, particularly Iran and Pakistan.
The Commission has since taken the controversial step of reaching out to the Taliban under mounting pressure from capitals. In October, 19 member states and Norway signed a letter calling for a common approach to ramp up deportations, confirming their willingness to engage directly with Kabul to reach their goal.
Technical contacts have been going on for months, and tuesday’s meeting was considered the follow-up to a Commission delegation visit to Kabul in January.
‘A shameful chapter’
Since the 2021 takeover that followed a rushed US withdrawal, the EU has not recognised the Taliban regime as the legitimate government of the country and has instead pursued a policy of so-called “operational engagement”.
Engaging with the Taliban is considered a red line by parts of the European Parliament and civil society, who warn that the outreach amounts to “normalisation” of ties with a regime known for its rampant violations of human rights. Afghanistan is ranked 140th out of 142 countries in the Rule of Law Index by the World Justice Project.
Critics have also raised questions about the financial compensation that Brussels could give to the Taliban government in exchange for accepting back their nationals. The Commission insists the dialogue, for now, falls short of any political commitments.
Socialist MEP Cecilia Strada labelled Tuesday’s meeting a “shameful chapter for Europe”, telling Euronews it grants legitimacy to “a regime that tramples on the rights of women and girls and imposes a system of gender apartheid”.
Another MEP, Saskia Bricmont of the Greens, said it was “unacceptable” to host representatives of a regime “that systematically oppresses women, suppresses all opposition, denies fundamental freedoms”.
In a non-binding resolution recently approved by the Parliament, lawmakers urged the Commission to uphold non-recognition and non-normalisation of the Taliban. The text also deplored the decision to invite them to Brussels.
Similarly, a provision that would have allowed discussions with non-recognised third-country entities for readmission was scrapped from a new migration law.
The European Council on Refugees and Exiles says that Afghanistan cannot be considered safe for return due to the deteriorating human rights situation, the absence of effective legal protection and the ongoing risks of persecution.
