When news broke that members of the Taliban visited Brussels in late June to discuss migration with European Union officials, Sami Samar said she was left crestfallen.
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“I was so disappointed because we really count on European countries as they believe the principle of human rights and the universality of human rights,” she tells Euronews.
“This is kind of (an) endorsement of the Taliban, even if it’s low rank of the Taliban.”
Samar, a former Afghan minister for women’s affairs from 2001 to 2002 turned human rights advocate living in exile in the United States, made the comments in the days leading up to 15 August 2026.
This is five years since the Taliban established itself as the de facto government of Afghanistan, which only Russia formally recognises. This date also marks the beginning of when the US withdrew its troops from the landlocked South Asian country after maintaining a presence there for nearly 20 years.
In the half-decade since this date, the country plunged into crisis.
The International Committee of the Red Cross says Afghanistan’s humanitarian situation remains among the most severe in the world.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimates roughly 21.9 million people (45% of the total population) are projected to require humanitarian assistance in 2026.
This is due to years of armed conflict, economic fragility, underinvestment in basic services and the rapid attrition of rights.
Women and girls
Samar said life has deteriorated in Afghanistan as the Taliban’s grip on power has tightened.
“It’s a human rights disaster,” she said, adding that women and girls are particularly impacted with more than 160 decrees issued “reducing” their lives.
This includes banning girls from education beyond sixth grade, banning women from university and excluding women from most workplaces. It also spans imposing strict dress codes and restricting women and girls from travelling without a male guardian.
Human Rights Watch states these policies amount to crimes against humanity through gender persecution.
“They are putting more restrictions on women’s freedom and movement, and violating women’s rights, including women’s voice should not be heard. Can you imagine that you cannot even cry loudly?” Samar said.
A majority of members of the European Parliament in May condemned the restrictions of the rights of girls, women and other minorities in the country, as well as public floggings and executions.
The MEPs also called on the European Commission and member states to maintain non-recognition and non-normalisation of the Taliban regime, while also laying bare their “regret” the decision to invite the Taliban to the Belgian capital.
European Commission spokesperson Anitta Hipper said on Tuesday the EU remains “gravely concerned” about systematic human rights violations in Afghanistan five-years on from the Taliban sweeping Kabul and a mantle of authority.
“The EU continues to call on the Afghan de facto authorities to respect, protect and fulfil the human rights and freedoms of all Afghans and to abide by Afghanistan’s international obligation,” she said.
Hipper said member states in 2021 mandated that the EU executive maintain “operational engagement” with the de facto Afghan authorities.
“That being said, we do not recognise such or legitimise the authorities, but we speak with Taliban on topics that we consider our key values and interests,” she added.
These benchmarks span the condemnation of human rights violations in Afghanistan — such as gender-based discrimination — and standing ready to adopt targeted restrictive measures against those responsible for these violations and abuses.
Samar said these comments, which come months after earlier talks with European Commission officials and members of the Taliban on European soil, reveal a “double standard” by the bloc.
“There is a slight, very light condemnation of the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, but then you receive their delegation quietly?” she said.
“How can we trust these partnerships?”
Meeting about migration
The closed-door migration talks were conducted by officials from the European Commission and 15 member states as well as a delegation of Taliban representatives on 23 June. They occurred off official EU premises.
The Taliban stated the technical talks concerned the return of Afghan nationals without a right to stay in Europe, while the European Commission stressed it was about expediting returns involving people convicted of serious crimes or considered security threats.
Despite the scope, it drew fierce condemnation. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk told Euronews he was concerned about Afghan nationals being deported into a situation where “they may be tortured.”
Swedish Migration Minister Johan Forssell told local media, however, that it is “incredibly important” these individuals are deported.
“And that is not possible today. They do not want to participate. They do not want to go home,” he said.
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.”
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 sent back, representing a 2% 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% of the overall number of asylum seekers.
According to Samar, these individuals are illegally entering the EU as the legal pathways to obtain a visa are onerous and because remaining in Afghanistan is perilous.
“Because of the dire situation that they face in Afghanistan, they try to cross the border,” she said.
