European Lawmakers: Brussels Meeting Could Give Taliban Political Legitimacy

Image: AI-generated / CEPS

A number of European lawmakers, former members of Afghanistan’s parliament and human rights activists have called on the European Union to refrain from inviting Taliban representatives to Brussels and from any official hosting of the group.

In an open letter to the European Commission, the European External Action Service and EU member states, they expressed concern over talks with the Taliban on migration and the deportation of Afghan migrants.

The signatories said such meetings, even if described as “technical”, could give the Taliban political legitimacy and send a message of normalising relations with the group.

Hannah Neumann, a member of the European Parliament from Germany, published the letter on X on Tuesday (23 June) and said, “Every invitation, every visa and every official meeting carries a political message.”

She stressed that the Taliban use migration cooperation to gain political concessions and that the European Union must not trade its human rights principles for deportation agreements.

The letter said the Taliban have not met any of the benchmarks set by the European Union for engagement. The signatories pointed to severe restrictions against women and girls, political repression, arbitrary detentions and public punishments in Afghanistan.

They also said the growing role of Taliban officials in some Afghan consular missions in Europe has increased concerns about surveillance and pressure on Afghan migrants.

The signatories called on the European Union to avoid any official engagement with the Taliban, separate migration cooperation from political processes and increase pressure to hold the Taliban accountable for human rights violations.

The request comes as Belgium has issued visas to a number of Taliban representatives to attend a migration-related meeting in Brussels.

European officials have said the meeting is technical in nature and does not amount to recognition of the Taliban. However, human rights activists have warned that any official hosting of the Taliban could help normalise relations with the group.

These concerns come as, since returning to power, the Taliban have deprived women and girls of education, work, freedom of movement and participation in many areas of public life.