Published on 6/23/2026
An Afghan government delegation arrives in Brussels on Tuesday, after obtaining a one-day entry visa, to hold talks with the European Union on returning people whose asylum applications were rejected in European countries to Afghanistan.
The European Commission had invited officials from the Afghan government to hold 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 Taliban government.
A European Union official confirmed that the bloc sees no alternative to dialogue with the Afghan government regarding the return of Afghans whose asylum applications were rejected.
A spokeswoman for the Belgian Foreign Minister – whose country issued the documents in its capacity as the host country for the European institutions – told Agence France-Presse that “the five required visas were approved on Monday afternoon following a security assessment.”
The spokeswoman explained that visas are only valid to enter Belgium, not the wider European Schengen area, and for one day only.
The European Union’s move to communicate with the Taliban authorities was met with strong opposition, as human rights organizations urged the Commission to withdraw from the scheduled meeting.
Repatriation of refugees
EU Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner defended the outreach move, saying Brussels had no other choice but to talk to the Taliban government about returning Afghan irregular migrants.
Brunner said that the dialogue with the Afghan authorities aims to improve the mechanisms for dealing with the immigrant file, stressing that these talks serve the interests of European countries and asylum seekers alike.
European governments have sought to adopt a tougher stance on immigration as public opinion hardens, boosting the electoral gains of far-right parties across the continent.
European Union countries received about one million asylum applications submitted by Afghans between 2013 and 2024, according to data from the bloc’s statistics agency. About half of this number was approved during that period.
About 20 of the total 27 member states of the European Union expressed in a letter last year their interest in returning some migrants who do not have the right to remain to Afghanistan, especially those who have criminal records.
“The focus of member states is largely on people who have committed serious crimes or who pose a security threat,” European Commission spokesman Markus Lamert told reporters on Monday.
On the other hand, human rights groups have raised questions related to the legal and ethical aspects of returning migrants to a country undergoing a severe humanitarian crisis, where millions face hunger and economic hardship, according to United Nations data.
