Taliban officials have received an invitation to Brussels, where a delegation from the Islamist regime will meet the EU’s migration department – and Swedish officials – for discussions about the return of Afghan migrants who are categorised as a security risk and do not have the right to stay in the Union.
The Commission initially denied that a visit was taking place, but a spokesperson has now confirmed Euractiv’s first report that it is being planned.
“The EU is mandated… to maintain operational engagement with the de facto authorities in Afghanistan. This [meeting] does not by any means constitute a recognition,” said the spokesman. He specified that a meeting is needed to address the sensitive issue of migrants who “have no right to stay and who pose a security threat.”
To travel to Brussels, Taliban officials will receive exceptional visas from Belgium as host of the EU institutions, a move likely to prove controversial domestically.
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