Published on 12/6/2026
A European Union official confirmed – yesterday, Thursday – that the bloc sees no alternative to dialogue with the Afghan government regarding the return of Afghans whose asylum applications were rejected, defending a meeting that Brussels intends to hold in this context.
The European Commission invited officials from the Afghan government to talks in Brussels, as part of its efforts to reduce irregular migration and increase the return of migrants whose asylum applications were rejected, despite its lack of official recognition of the Afghan government.
European Union Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner said that the dialogue with the Afghan authorities aims to improve the mechanisms for dealing with the migrants’ file.
Brunner explained that a number of member states support this step, considering that it serves the interests of European countries and asylum seekers alike.
Reducing immigration
The European Commission is seeking to hold talks with Afghan officials as part of its efforts to reduce irregular migration and increase the return of migrants whose applications have been rejected, although no date has been set for the meeting yet, and the participants do not obtain entry visas to Belgium.
European governments closed their embassies in Kabul after the Taliban returned to power in 2021.
On the other hand, human rights organizations expressed their fears about returning migrants to Afghanistan, noting the continuing humanitarian crisis and deteriorating living conditions in the country, where millions of people face hunger and economic difficulties, according to the United Nations.
European governments are moving to tighten immigration policies in light of the increasing internal pressures related to this issue, which coincided with the growing presence of far-right parties and their electoral gains in a number of European countries.
In the same context, 20 member states of the European Union are studying mechanisms to return migrants to Afghanistan, including people convicted of crimes, despite reservations expressed by human rights organizations and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
According to European Union data, the bloc’s countries received about one million asylum applications from Afghans between 2013 and 2024, while Afghans constituted the largest group of asylum seekers in Europe during the past year.
Last year, the Financial Times newspaper revealed that European countries – including Germany, Switzerland and Austria – sent delegations to Afghanistan, and welcomed the arrival of Taliban officials to facilitate the return of irregular Afghan migrants.
In the newspaper’s view, these steps represent a noticeable shift in the positions of European governments and politicians who previously sought to isolate the Taliban and condemned it for its restrictions on girls’ education and its treatment of minorities and political opponents, according to their opinion.
