KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The French government has said its “technical talks” with the Taliban authorities over deportation of Afghan nationals do not constitute recognition of the group, as Paris seeks to facilitate the return of Afghans living in France without legal residency.
Speaking at a press briefing in Paris on Thursday, Pascal Confavreux, a spokesperson for the French Foreign Ministry, said France has no intention of recognizing the Taliban, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP).
The discussions, Confavreux said, “do not in any way amount to recognition of the regime.”
He said the talks focused solely on the return of Afghan nationals in France without legal residence permits who are deemed a threat to public order. The discussions are being held in coordination with the Interior Ministry to ensure the safety of French citizens, he added.
He also rejected reports in some French media that a Taliban delegation was present at the Afghan consulate in Paris. “There is no Taliban delegation at the Afghan consulate in Paris today,” Confavreux said.
France confirmed the talks earlier this week after AFP first reported in early October, citing a French diplomatic source, that Paris had opened discussions with the Taliban to facilitate deportations.
French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez told parliament on Monday: “We are trying to obtain the possibility to return a certain number of Afghans who are in an irregular situation. These are technical discussions.”
Paris has not disclosed how many people could be affected. A source familiar with the matter told AFP the figure could reach hundreds.
The French government has not disclosed how many Afghans could be deported, but a source familiar with the matter told AFP the number could reach hundreds.
France, like other Western governments, has not established diplomatic relations with the Taliban since the group returned to power in August 2021. The French Embassy in Afghanistan remains closed.
However, France has joined around 20 other European Union member states, including Germany, Belgium and Sweden, in efforts to accelerate the return of Afghans, particularly those whose asylum applications have been rejected or who have been convicted of crimes.
UN experts, some European lawmakers, human rights organizations and refugee rights activists have criticized the growing number of returns to Taliban-ruled Afghanistan and increased official contacts with the group. They have warned that Afghanistan remains unsafe for forced returns and that engagement with the Taliban risks legitimizing a group responsible for widespread human rights violations.
