EU invites Taliban members to discuss Afghan migrant returns
Key takeaways
- The European Commission has invited officials from Afghanitan's Taliban to discuss the returns of certain migrants.
- He said the invitation to Brussels "does not by any means constitute a recognition" of the Taliban as the Afghan government.
- The EU does not formally recognize the Taliban's leadership, after its sudden return to power amid the NATO withdrawal just over five years ago in early 2021.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
The European Commission has invited officials from Afghanitan's Taliban to discuss the returns of certain migrants. It's controversial on humanitarian grounds, and because Brussels doesn't recognize Taliban authority.
https://p.dw.com/p/5De96Some contentious so-called deportation flights have left Germany (as pictured here in July 2025) and other European countries, but governments complain that it is difficult to send Afghan nationals back Image: EHL Media/IMAGOAdvertisement The European Commission has invited representatives of the Taliban to Brussels for talks on deporting Afghan nationals who have been refused permission to stay in the European Union.
The invitation follows a preliminary meeting for "technical talks" that took place this January in Afghanistan, European Commission spokesman Markus Lammert said on Tuesday, classifying the planned Brussels discussions as a "follow-up."