The Belgian government issued a one-day visa to five representatives of the Taliban movement. This was announced by the press secretary of the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Audrey Jacquet.
According to her, the delegation will participate in a meeting where migration policy and deportation issues to Afghanistan will be discussed in the European Union. The issued visas are valid only in Belgium and are geographically restricted.
For security reasons, when the Taliban representatives will arrive in Brussels has not been disclosed. However, according to European officials, the visa was issued only for June 23.
Earlier, it was reported that the European Union had invited Taliban representatives to Brussels to discuss the issue of returning Afghan citizens to their homeland at a technical level. Deportation is planned for Afghan citizens who do not have the right to stay in European countries and are considered a security threat.
According to Eurostat, between 2013 and 2024, Afghan citizens submitted over 1 million applications for refugee status in European Union countries. About half of them were satisfied. In 2025, Afghans remain one of the nationalities that apply for asylum the most.
Recall that in August 2021, the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan. Despite this, nearly 20 states of the European Union continue the practice of returning Afghan citizens to their homeland. Human rights organizations have sharply criticized this practice, emphasizing that deported individuals, especially women, journalists, former civil servants, and activists, may face persecution and torture.
For information, on June 17, the European Parliament approved a law allowing the establishment of special migration centers in third countries for migrants who do not have the right to stay in the European Union. Earlier, Politico mentioned Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan as possible locations for such centers, but both countries' Ministries of Foreign Affairs denied this information.
