Afghan Taliban to hold rare, closed-door talks with EU officials on deportations

A delegation from the Afghan Taliban is travelling to Brussels on Tuesday (June 23, 2026) for closed-door talks with European Union staff, expected to focus on deportations, said a Taliban official.

Rights groups said the meeting undercuts the EU’s human rights obligations and could endanger people in Europe and Afghanistan.

Belgium issued 24-hour visas to the Taliban delegation, which includes New Zealand-born Abdul Qahar Balkhi, a spokesperson for the Taliban’s Foreign Ministry.