KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Human Rights Watch says that European Union member states risk undermining their credibility by inviting the Taliban to Brussels.
Fereshta Abbasi, Afghanistan researcher at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement released on Sunday (June 22) that European Union countries risk damaging their credibility by criticizing Taliban human rights abuses and calling for accountability while simultaneously cooperating with the group on the forced return of Afghan migrants.
She said: “This invitation send a wrong message at a wrong time.”
She stressed that any engagement with the Taliban should place human rights protections and accountability at the center of discussions, rather than facilitating the return of people to Afghanistan, where they may face serious threats to their safety and well-being.
Human Rights Watch said that European countries are planning to accelerate deportations to Afghanistan despite being fully aware of the country’s dire human rights situation.
She further stated: ” At Human Rights Watch, we have documented cases in which forced returnees were arbitrarily detained and tortured by the Taliban. EU countries should halt any deportation to a Taliban-ruled Afghanistan.”
The European Commission has confirmed that it has invited a technical delegation of the Taliban to Brussels for talks on migrant deportations to Afghanistan.
Human Rights Watch stated that the Taliban delegation’s visit to Brussels is expected to take place soon.
Germany has recently expanded its engagement with the Taliban on migration issues as it seeks to increase the deportation of Afghan nationals convicted of crimes. According to German media reports, officials from Germany and the Taliban held confidential talks in Istanbul, during which Berlin reportedly agreed to accept additional Taliban diplomats in exchange for cooperation on deportation flights.
Germany plans to increase charter flights carrying deportees to Afghanistan, reflecting a broader European effort to coordinate returns despite ongoing concerns over the country’s human rights situation under Taliban rule.
The development comes as the European Commission is reportedly preparing to host a Taliban delegation to help facilitate the return of Afghans who have been denied asylum or convicted of crimes across the European Union. EU officials have confirmed that an invitation has been extended, though details on timing and format have not been released.
The EU’s reported plan has drawn criticism from human rights groups, United Nations experts, activists, and members of the Afghan diaspora, who say engagement with the Taliban risks legitimizing a regime widely accused of systematic human rights violations since taking power nearly five years ago. They also argue that Afghanistan remains unsafe for forced returns, pointing to the ongoing reports of arbitrary arrests and enforced disappearances across the country.
Neither the German government nor the Taliban has publicly confirmed the reported agreement. If implemented, the addition of six diplomats would significantly expand the Taliban’s diplomatic presence in Europe.
