Historic Meeting Between Taliban and EU: Migration and Deportation Processes on the Agenda

The European Union has invited Taliban officials to Brussels to discuss migration and deportation processes from Afghanistan. The critical meeting between the European Union and the Taliban will focus on migration and deportation processes. Belgium has issued visas to five Taliban representatives to attend the meeting in Brussels. The spokesperson for the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the visas were issued on Monday after a security assessment and are only valid in Belgium for one day. The European Commission announced that the discussions will address the return and readmission of Afghan citizens who do not have the right to stay in Europe and irregular migration from Afghanistan to EU countries. This meeting is notable as it is the first to be hosted by the European Union since the Taliban regained power in Afghanistan in August 2021. European Commission spokesperson Markus Lammert said that EU member states are exploring ways to deport individuals who have committed serious crimes or are deemed to pose a security threat.