Amnesty urges halt to EU deportation talks with Taliban
Rights group says Afghanistan remains unsafe for forced returns and warns that migration talks with Taliban risk undermining human rights
KABUL, Afghanistan (MNTV) — Amnesty International has urged the European Union and its member states to abandon plans to deport Afghan nationals and suspend discussions with the Taliban on migrant returns, arguing that Afghanistan remains unsafe and that such cooperation could violate international human rights obligations.
In a statement issued Tuesday, the organization called on European governments to halt efforts aimed at expanding deportations to Afghanistan and to discontinue readmission talks with Taliban authorities.
The appeal comes as the European Commission prepares to host Taliban representatives in Brussels for discussions focused on the return and readmission of Afghan nationals who do not have the legal right to remain in EU member states.
Amnesty said Afghanistan “cannot in any way be considered safe for returns” and warned that deportees could face persecution, arbitrary detention, torture, enforced disappearance and other human rights abuses under Taliban rule.
“The desperate scenes of people — including EU staff — fleeing Afghanistan are a recent memory,” said Eve Geddie, director of Amnesty International’s European Institutions Office. “It is unconscionable that the EU would now try and deport people to Afghanistan, which has only become more dangerous in the meantime.”
The organization argued that efforts to increase deportations contradict the European Union’s own conditions for engagement with the Taliban, which include respect for human rights and adherence to international obligations.
“Any EU engagement on deportations to Afghanistan is reckless, dangerous and ignores the EU’s own legal obligations,” Geddie said, citing the principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits returning individuals to countries where they face a serious risk of persecution, torture or other irreparable harm.
Amnesty pointed to what it described as the Taliban’s “institutionalized system of repression,” citing restrictions on women and girls, arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, torture and extrajudicial killings.
The criticism comes amid an intensifying debate within Europe over migration policy. Several EU member states have advocated increased returns of Afghan nationals, particularly individuals convicted of crimes or considered security risks.
According to media reports, Belgium issued visas to a five-member Taliban delegation invited to Brussels for migration-related talks, marking the first known visit by Taliban representatives to European Union institutions since the group returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021.
Human rights organizations, Afghan activists and several European lawmakers have criticized the planned meeting, arguing that it risks conferring political legitimacy on the Taliban.
Amnesty said the proposed discussions overlook both the factors that forced many Afghans to flee and the worsening humanitarian situation inside the country.
The organization cited United Nations estimates indicating that nearly 22 million people in Afghanistan require humanitarian assistance, while poverty, food insecurity and economic hardship continue to affect much of the population. It also noted warnings from the World Food Program that millions of Afghans face acute hunger as the country absorbs large numbers of returnees from neighboring Iran and Pakistan.
The European Union has been among the most vocal international critics of Taliban policies, particularly restrictions on women and girls. It also supported the establishment of an independent U.N. mechanism to investigate and preserve evidence of serious human rights violations in Afghanistan.
Amnesty argued that pursuing deportation arrangements while simultaneously supporting accountability initiatives sends conflicting messages.
“The EU is well aware of the human rights situation in Afghanistan,” the organization said, noting that European officials have repeatedly condemned Taliban policies and supported international accountability efforts.
Meanwhile, Taliban Foreign Ministry spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi confirmed that a Taliban delegation attended talks in Brussels after receiving a one-day Belgian visa.
Balkhi said the delegation traveled at the invitation of the European Union and focused discussions on expanding consular services for Afghan citizens residing in EU countries. He added that the visit was initially delayed before being limited to a one-day trip because of logistical, security and protocol considerations cited by Belgian authorities.
European officials have maintained that the meeting was a technical discussion on migration issues and does not constitute recognition of the Taliban government.
The talks nevertheless sparked protests among Afghan communities across Europe, with demonstrators urging European institutions to avoid formal engagement with Taliban representatives and prioritize human rights concerns in future contacts.
The controversy highlights the challenge facing European governments as they seek to balance migration management and security considerations against warnings from human rights organizations, refugee advocates and U.N. officials that Afghanistan remains unsafe for forced returns.
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