Joint Statement: Afghan and European civil society oppose EU engagement with the Taliban on deportations

We, the undersigned civil society organisations, including Afghan diaspora organisations across Europe, are profoundly concerned, outraged, and deeply disappointed by reports that the European Union (EU) intends to host representatives of the Taliban in Brussels for discussions on deportations to Afghanistan.

Opening the doors to Taliban representatives to discuss deportations sends a dangerous and devastating signal when the people of Afghanistan continue to endure one of the world’s gravest human rights and humanitarian crises under Taliban rule. The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants against the Taliban leadership and many of the Taliban leaders are on the EU and United Nations sanctions lists. The proposed invitation undermines the EU’s credibility, values and long-standing commitments to human rights, democracy, accountability and international law.

Since seizing power in August 2021, the Taliban have systematically dismantled constitutional protections, erased women and girls from public life, violently suppressed dissent, and much more, leading a regime of discrimination and fear. Multiple UN experts and international human rights organisations have described the Taliban’s treatment of women and girls as amounting to a potential gender apartheid.

The EU’s own benchmarks, which explicitly condition any engagement with the Taliban on respect for human rights, the rule of law and Afghanistan’s international obligations, should guide any engagement with the Taliban. Co-operating with the Taliban on deportations not only contradicts these benchmarks but also disregards the European Parliament’s repeated resolutions and calls for a principled, rights-based approach towards Afghanistan. The Parliament’s most recent resolution (May 2026) regretted the proposed invitation of Taliban representatives to Brussels and called on the European Commission and the European External Action Service for non-recognition and non-normalisation of the Taliban.

For millions of Afghans, particularly women and girls, human rights defenders, journalists, academics, judges, artists, former government employees, ethnic and religious minorities, LGBTQI+ people and people forced into exile, Brussels symbolises the defence of democratic values, human dignity, international protection, and principled support for human rights including in Afghanistan. The EU has played a critical role in consistently raising concerns over ongoing human rights violations in Afghanistan. It supports a number of initiatives, including the establishment of an independent UN human rights monitoring mechanism. These efforts have been deeply valued and widely appreciated by Afghans and the international human rights community alike. The decision to host Taliban representatives in Brussels to discuss deportations undermines any trust built so far.

We are particularly alarmed that this initiative appears linked to discussions on deportations to Afghanistan. The current realities inside the country render such discussions deeply irresponsible. Afghanistan under Taliban control cannot be considered safe for deportations.

More than 90% of displaced Afghans continue to be hosted by Afghanistan’s neighbouring countries, particularly Iran and Pakistan. While Afghans remain among the largest national groups seeking asylum in Europe, their number remains comparatively low compared with the displacement borne within the region. The number of Afghans arriving in Europe has also significantly decreased in recent years.

Although Afghan asylum applicants generally benefit from relatively high recognition rates (73.3% at the first instance in 2025 which also includes national forms of protection), they continue to face profoundly inconsistent and unequal treatment between EU member states. Recognition rates for Afghan applicants have ranged from as high as 98% in some member states to below 5% in others, without any credible explanation linked to the substance or profile of the cases concerned. Such extreme disparities strongly suggest that Afghans in need of protection are not being assessed according to uniform standards and safeguards across Europe.

Serious concerns regarding the safety and legality of deportations to Afghanistan were raised even prior to the Taliban’s takeover. Today, the deteriorating human rights situation, the absence of effective legal protection, the collapse of institutional safeguards and the ongoing risks of persecution and reprisals only make clearer that Afghanistan cannot be considered safe for return. Courts across Europe have rightly intervened to halt deportations in recognition of these realities. UN human rights bodies, including the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, have recently called on states to halt involuntary returns to Afghanistan given the grave and ongoing human rights situation in the country.

UNHCR’s official assessment of the situation is that many Afghans seeking asylum will have international protection needs. Where Afghans are found not to be in need of protection, European countries should prioritise rights-based and sustainable alternatives, including the granting of regular status, access to residence rights, and other measures that ensure dignity, stability, and protection for people who are unable to safely return.

Any attempt by the EU or its member states to advance deportation arrangements with the Taliban risks violating the principle of non-refoulement, a cornerstone of international refugee and human rights law prohibiting the transfer of individuals to situations where they face persecution, torture or other serious harm.

Afghan civil society, particularly Afghan women-led organisations and human rights defenders have repeatedly warned against policies that contribute to the political normalisation of the Taliban while excluding the voices of victims and those directly affected by Taliban rule (see here and here). Yet, those whose future and safety will be profoundly affected are marginalised from ongoing discussions. We cannot condone this.

We therefore call on the European Commission, the European External Action Service and EU member states to:

• Immediately reconsider and suspend any planned invitation or official hosting of Taliban representatives in Brussels;
• Ensure that any engagement related to Afghanistan remains strictly conditioned on measurable and verifiable improvements in human rights, particularly the rights of women and girls;
• Reject any co-operation arrangements that facilitate deportations to Afghanistan under current conditions;
• Fully uphold the principle of non-refoulement and the EU’s obligations under international refugee and human rights law;
• Guarantee meaningful and structured consultation with Afghan civil society, women’s rights defenders, refugee-led organisations and human rights experts in all policy discussions concerning Afghanistan;
• Expand safe protection pathways for Afghans at risk, including asylum access, family reunification, humanitarian visas, resettlement and relocation mechanisms;
• Continue supporting independent international accountability mechanisms documenting violations and possible international crimes committed in Afghanistan;
• Ensure that the EU’s Afghanistan policy remains firmly grounded in human rights, democratic principles and accountability rather than migration deterrence objectives.

Signatories:

1. Afghanistan LGBTIQ+ Organisation
2. Afghans Empowered.org
3. Africa Solidarity Centre Ireland (ASCI)
4. AFRICAN MEDIA ASSOCIATION MALTA
5. ARENE (Afghan Refugees Experts Network in Europe)
6. ASB
7. asylkoordination austria
8. AWO Bundesverband e.V.
9. Centre for Peace Studies
10. Churches´Commission for Migrants in Europe (CCME)
11. Ciré
12. Deutsch-Afghanische Freudschaftsgesellschaft Baaham e.V.
13. Diakonie Deutschland
14. Dutch Council for Refugees
15. European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE)
16. Emmaus Europe
17. Empowerment For Her
18. Estonian Refugee Council
19. European Network of Migrant Women
20. European Network on Statelessness
21. European Women’s Lobby
22. European-Global Civil Society Organization (EGCSO)
23. FARR, the Swedish Network of Refugee Support Groups
24. Federation of Protestant Churches in Italy
25. Female Fellows e.V
26. Finnish Refugee Advice Centre
27. Forum réfugiés
28. France terre d’asile
29. Fundacja Ocalenie
30. Gender Persecution in Afghanistan Accountability Working Group (GPWG)
31. Generation Outside Afghanistan .org
32. Greek Council for Refugees (GCR)
33. Greek Forum of Refugees
34. HIAS Greece
35. International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) Europe
36. Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) Europe
37. KEIHAN Foundation
38. Melissa Network of Migrant Women in Greece
39. Migrant Women Hungary Association / She4She
40. NANSEN (The Belgian Refugee Council)
41. NETWORK OF AFGHANISTAN DIASPORA ORGANISATIONS IN EUROPE (NADOE)
42. NOAS Foundation
43. Passerell
44. PIC – Legal Center for the Protection of Human Rights and the Environment
45. Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants – PICUM
46. Portuguese Refugee Council (CPR)
47. PRO ASYL
48. Rainbow Afghanistan
49. Red Acoge
50. Refugee Advisory Board
51. Refugee Support Aegean (RSA)
52. Renovar Mouraria
53. Safe Passage International
54. Schweizerische Flüchtlingshilfe (Swiss Refugee Council)
55. SOLIDAR
56. Symbiosis-Council of Europe School of Political Studies in Greece
57. UNIRE-APS
58. Vluchtelingenwerk Vlaanderen