Belgium Issues Visas to Afghan Delegation for EU Migration Talks in Brussels
BRUSSELS — June 23, 2026 — Belgium has granted single-day visas to five members of a Taliban delegation invited by the European Commission to attend talks in Brussels on the return of Afghan asylum-seekers, a move that has sparked controversy amid concerns about engaging with the Islamist regime .
The visas, valid only for Belgium and for a single day, were issued on Monday, June 22, after a security assessment by Belgium’s State Security Service and military intelligence agency, ADIV, found no information suggesting the visitors posed a threat . Belgian officials have not disclosed the exact date of the delegation’s arrival, citing security and public order reasons . According to EU sources and an Afghan government official, the five-member delegation is expected to travel to Brussels on Tuesday, June 23 .
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The meeting, requested by several EU member states including Sweden, is coordinated by the European Commission and is expected to focus on the return and readmission of Afghan nationals without a right to stay in the European Union, particularly those convicted of serious crimes or deemed security threats .
Controversy and Criticism
The planned visit has drawn sharp criticism from human rights organizations, who argue that engaging with the Taliban risks legitimizing a regime accused of severe human rights abuses and could put deportees at risk .
“EU countries are undermining their credibility by condemning Taliban abuses and pursuing accountability on one hand, while cooperating with the Taliban to forcibly return Afghans on the other,” said Fereshta Abbasi, Afghanistan researcher at Human Rights Watch .
Amnesty International’s Eve Geddie called it “unconscionable that the EU would now try and deport people to Afghanistan, which has only become more dangerous” since the Taliban’s return to power .
Belgium’s Position
Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot has said he personally opposes the invitation but argued that Belgium, as host country to EU institutions, could not block invitations issued by the Commission . “Personally, I disapprove of the move to invite representatives of the Taliban regime to Brussels,” Prévot told MPs, adding that formal recognition of the Taliban remains “out of the question” .
The European Commission has emphasized that the meeting is purely technical and does not constitute formal recognition of the Taliban government . The EU has not formally recognized the Taliban since they returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021 .
Migration Context
EU countries received about one million asylum applications filed by Afghans between 2013 and 2024, according to Eurostat . Around 20 of the EU’s 27 member states have expressed interest in returning some migrants without a right to stay, particularly those with criminal convictions, to Afghanistan . The meeting comes as European governments face growing pressure to tighten migration policies amid public opinion hardening and far-right electoral gains across the continent .
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SOURCES / INPUTS
- Dawn: Belgium grants visas to Taliban team for talks with EU on migration
- Euronews: Belgium issues visas to Taliban delegation for EU migration talks
- Arab News: Belgium issues visas to Taliban delegation for EU meeting
- Belganewsagency: Taliban delegation comes to Brussels but only for one day
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