European Commission officials and representatives from 15 member states held a confidential meeting with a Taliban delegation in Brussels on Tuesday, aimed at expediting the deportation of Afghan migrants who lack legal status in Europe.

The venue and other details of the gathering were not made public.

The meeting, co-chaired by Sweden—which has one of the largest Afghan populations per capita—was conducted on a strictly technical level and took place outside the Commission’s institutional premises. This approach was chosen due to the EU’s lack of diplomatic recognition of the Taliban government, which seized control of Afghanistan in 2021.

According to a Commission spokesperson, the discussions centred on the return of irregular Afghan migrants “who have committed serious crimes or pose a security threat.” European countries frequently struggle to repatriate such individuals because Afghan authorities refuse to accept them back.

Swedish Migration Minister Johan Forssell told local media: “It is incredibly important that these criminals are deported. And that is not possible today. They do not want to participate. They do not want to go home.” He noted that roughly 200 Afghan nationals in Sweden are awaiting deportation after being convicted of serious offences, including aggravated rape and drug trafficking. Defending the engagement despite criticism, he argued that his government must negotiate with dictatorships in certain situations to “protect Swedish interests.”

The Commission does not have data on how many irregular Afghans across Europe are responsible for serious crimes or pose security threats. However, the invitation to the Taliban—seen by Euronews—only references the return of “Afghan nationals with no right to stay in the EU,” without mentioning the criminal component. The executive did not confirm the document’s authenticity.

These talks are part of a broader EU strategy to increase the return rate of irregular migrants, which currently stands at 29% and has barely changed in recent years. Deportations have proven especially challenging for Afghans, who were among the top nationalities issued return orders in 2025. Eurostat data shows that out of 14,270 Afghan nationals ordered to leave the bloc in the first nine months of last year, only 340 were effectively sent back—a mere 2% return rate.

Meanwhile, arrivals continue: over 3,300 Afghans crossed EU borders irregularly in the first four months of 2026, and more than 63,000 Afghan nationals sought asylum in the EU in 2025, accounting for 10% of all asylum applications. This represents only a fraction of the Afghan diaspora that fled the 2021 Taliban takeover; over 90% of displaced Afghans are estimated to live in neighbouring countries, particularly Iran and Pakistan.

Under mounting pressure from member states, the Commission has taken the controversial step of reaching out to the Taliban. In October, 19 member states and Norway signed a letter calling for a coordinated approach to ramp up deportations, confirming their willingness to engage directly with Kabul. Technical contacts have been ongoing for months, and Tuesday’s meeting was considered a follow-up to a Commission delegation visit to Kabul in January.

Since the 2021 takeover, the EU has not recognised the Taliban as the legitimate government of Afghanistan, instead pursuing a policy of so-called “operational engagement.” Engaging with the Taliban is viewed as a red line by some in the European Parliament and civil society, who warn that such outreach amounts to “normalisation” of ties with a regime notorious for human rights violations. Afghanistan ranks 140th out of 142 countries in the World Justice Project’s Rule of Law Index.

Critics have also raised questions about financial compensation that Brussels might offer the Taliban in exchange for accepting returnees. The Commission insists that, for now, the dialogue falls short of any political commitments.

Socialist MEP Cecilia Strada labelled Tuesday’s meeting a “shameful chapter for Europe”, telling Euronews it grants legitimacy to “a regime that tramples on the rights of women and girls and imposes a system of gender apartheid”.

Another MEP, Saskia Bricmont of the Greens, said it was “unacceptable” to host representatives of a regime “that systematically oppresses women, suppresses all opposition, denies fundamental freedoms”.

In a recent non-binding resolution, Parliament urged the Commission to uphold non-recognition and non-normalisation of the Taliban, and deplored the decision to invite them to Brussels. Similarly, a provision that would have allowed discussions with non-recognised third-country entities for readmission was scrapped from a new migration law.

The European Council on Refugees and Exiles says that Afghanistan cannot be considered safe for return due to the deteriorating human rights situation, the absence of effective legal protection, and the ongoing risks of persecution.