The European Union met with Taliban officials in Brussels this week. For the first time. Official talks. The subject? Deportations.
Let that sink in. A regime that no European country recognizes. A government that still bans girls from school. And yet, there they sat — across a polished EU table, discussing who gets sent back to Afghanistan.
Three EU diplomats confirmed the meeting to Al Jazeera. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the talks were supposed to be discreet. But nothing stays quiet when you're negotiating with the Taliban.
Why now? The deportation squeeze
Europe has a problem. Thousands of Afghan asylum seekers have had their claims rejected. But member states can't deport them — not without some cooperation from Kabul. For years, the EU refused to engage. Now, with migration a burning political issue from Berlin to Rome, that wall has crumbled.
“If we want to send people back, we need travel documents from the Taliban,” a senior EU official admitted. “It's ugly. But it's reality.”
The numbers tell the story. In 2025, EU countries issued over 30,000 return orders to Afghan nationals. Actual deportations? Fewer than 500. Most European airlines refuse to fly to Kabul. The Taliban's own bureaucracy stalls on paperwork. So Europe blinked first.
“If we want to send people back, we need travel documents from the Taliban. It's ugly. But it's reality.”
No recognition, just business
EU diplomats insist this isn't recognition. Not formally. The Taliban's ambassador to Qatar — Mohammad Naeem — led the delegation. No flags. No handshake photos released. But the meeting happened in an EU building. That's a win for the Taliban's PR machine.
For Kabul, this is about legitimacy. For Brussels, it's about optics and logistics. The EU wants a functioning deportation pipeline. The Taliban wants cash and credibility. So they negotiate.
The stakes are lopsided. The Taliban gets a seat at the table — something they've craved since 2021. The EU gets the dirty work of deporting people back to a country where women can't walk alone without a male guardian.
Human rights take a back seat
Remember when Europe championed women's rights in Afghanistan? That was then. Now, the EU's own guidelines say no forced returns to places where people face “serious harm.” Afghanistan under the Taliban qualifies. But politics has a way of bending rules.
“We are not sending people to danger,” an EU spokesperson told reporters. “We assess each case individually.” That's the official line. Unofficially, the pressure to clear backlogs is immense. Countries like Germany and the Netherlands have been pushing for this meeting for months.
Human rights groups are furious. “The EU is normalizing a regime that stonewalls women,” said Fereshta Abbasi of Amnesty International. “This meeting sends a message: if you oppress enough people, we'll eventually talk to you.”
She's not wrong. The Taliban hasn't changed. In the past month alone, they've closed more girls' schools in Kandahar province and publicly flogged 12 women for “moral crimes.” Yet the EU now engages them directly.
The bigger picture: Europe's migration headache
Afghanistan isn't the only country where Europe is bending. Deals with Libya, Tunisia, and Turkey have all involved uncomfortable compromises. Migration is the third rail of European politics — and the Taliban deal is just the latest example of realpolitik.
Far-right parties are surging across the continent. In France, Marine Le Pen's National Rally is polling at 32%. In Germany, the AfD just won a state election. Mainstream parties are desperate to show they're tough on immigration. Talking to the Taliban is part of that.
But at what cost? The EU is sacrificing moral authority for short-term political gain. And the Taliban knows it. They're playing the long game. Every meeting, every handshake — it chips away at the isolation they've faced since retaking power.
What happens next?
Talks are expected to continue. Technical working groups on deportation logistics. Possibly a joint statement down the line. The EU insists this isn't a “normalization.” But that's semantics.
Once you talk, you legitimize. Once you cooperate, you're complicit. The EU has crossed a line it swore it never would. And now the Taliban has a foothold in Brussels.
Afghan women and girls? They're still waiting for the world to keep its promises.
