EU Opens Talks With Taliban on Afghan Deportations

The European Commission held closed-door talks with Taliban officials in Brussels on June 23—the bloc's first direct diplomatic engagement with the regime. Belgium issued five visas for the meeting. The EU hasn't formally recognized the Taliban but faces pressure from roughly 20 member states seeking deportation pathways for Afghan asylum seekers. Without an operative agreement with Kabul, enforcing removals remains nearly impossible. Rights groups warn returnees would face a legal system outside international human rights frameworks.