A meeting between an Afghan Taliban delegation and European Union officials in Brussels has sparked controversy across Europe, with human rights activists, including Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai, accusing the EU of ‘legitimising a regime accused of severe rights abuses’.
The EU defended the talks, saying limited engagement with Afghanistan’s “de facto authorities” was necessary to facilitate the deportation of failed asylum seekers who commit crimes or are considered security risks.
Malala slams EU for meeting with Taliban
Malala strongly criticised the meeting after learning about it. In a video posted on X, she said she was shaken and deeply disturbed that such discussions had taken place in Europe.
Also Read | Afghan Taliban to hold rare, closed-door talks with EU over deportations in bloc’s 27 nations
“This is the same Taliban that banned girls from secondary schools and forced them into marriage. The same Taliban that, earlier this month, arrested dozens of women in Herat for how they were dressed. The same Taliban that detains, beats and executes women who dare to speak out or break their rules,” said Malala.
She added that Europe must not legitimise a regime responsible for one of the worst human rights crises in the world and stressed that any engagement with the Taliban must begin and end with the rights of Afghan women and girls.
Malala was 15 when she was shot by a Pakistani Taliban gunman in 2012 while returning home from school in Pakistan’s Swat Valley. The attack came after she emerged as a prominent advocate for girls’ education and openly challenged Taliban restrictions on women attending school in the region.
“The most obvious and dangerous consequence is that Afghans will be returned from the EU, and will face persecution from the Taliban after their arrival,” said Jeff Crisp, Head of Policy Development and Evaluation at UNHCR and visiting fellow at the University of Oxford.
Afghan Taliban spokesperson says meeting had wider agenda
An Afghan Foreign Ministry spokesperson said the agenda extended beyond migration issues and included discussions on establishing a possible consular presence in the EU, restoring consular services for Afghans living in Europe, and “the need for trust-building measures”.
The meeting raised “hope to build positive momentum to safeguard consular rights of Afghans residing abroad,” added the spokesperson, Abdul Qahar Balkhi.
(With Reuters inputs)
