Belgium Issues One-Day Visas to Taliban Representatives for EU Migration Talks
Belgium granted five one-day visas to Taliban delegates invited to Brussels for EU discussions on Afghan deportations.
Belgium has issued five one-day visas to representatives of the radical Islamist group, the Taliban, enabling their participation in a European Union meeting focused on migration and deportations to Afghanistan. The Belgian Foreign Ministry confirmed the visas were valid only for the delegates' presence on Belgian territory during the event.
The Taliban representatives were invited to Brussels to engage in technical-level discussions with EU officials regarding the return of Afghan nationals who do not have the right to stay in EU countries and who potentially pose security risks.
Context of the EU-Afghanistan Deportation Dialogue
According to statements from Belgian officials, the exact dates of the visit were withheld for security reasons, but reports indicate the delegates arrived on June 23. The EU’s outreach to the Taliban marks a strategic effort to coordinate deportation policies amid a significant inflow of Afghan asylum seekers over the past decade.
“The one-day visas allow Taliban representatives to be physically present in Belgium solely for the duration of the meeting,” said the Belgian Foreign Ministry spokesperson.
Eurostat data reveals that from 2013 to 2024, Afghan citizens submitted over one million asylum applications across EU member states, with approximately half of these applications approved. In 2025, Afghans continued to file the highest number of asylum claims within the EU.
Following the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan in August 2021, around 20 EU countries have implemented deportation procedures targeting Afghan nationals. Germany, for example, deported more than 100 Afghan citizens in 2024 alone. These repatriations have faced criticism from human rights organizations concerned about the potential for persecution, arbitrary detention, and torture of returnees, particularly among vulnerable groups like women, journalists, former government employees, and activists.
The EU’s engagement with the Taliban on migration issues highlights the complex balance between enforcing immigration policies and addressing humanitarian and security challenges linked to the Afghan refugee situation.
