EU plans to invite Afghan officials for migration talks in Brussels

The EU is planning to invite Afghanistan's Taliban officials to Brussels for technical-level talks on migration and returns, a European Commission spokesperson confirmed Tuesday.

Speaking at the EU Commission's midday press briefing in Brussels, spokesperson Markus Lammert said the EU's Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs (DG HOME), together with Sweden's Justice Ministry, had sent a letter to Afghanistan's "de facto authorities" to explore the possibility of holding a follow-up meeting in the Belgian capital.

"I can confirm that DG Home, together with the Swedish Ministry of Justice, has sent a letter to the de facto authorities in Afghanistan to inquire about the availability for a meeting at a technical level here in Brussels," Lammert said.

The planned talks would follow a previous technical meeting held in Afghanistan in January, he added.

Lammert said the contacts stem from an initiative launched by 20 EU member states and Schengen-associated countries in October last year, when governments asked the EU Commission to coordinate discussions with Afghan authorities on migration returns.

According to the spokesperson, the focus is on the return of individuals who "have no right to stay in the union" and who are considered security threats by member states.

"So this is mainly about persons who pose a security threat," he said.

The commission stressed that the engagement does not amount to diplomatic recognition of the Taliban administration.