Human Rights Watch has declared that the European Commission's invitation to the Taliban delegation to Brussels sends the wrong message under the current circumstances. The organization highlighted the ongoing systematic discrimination and restrictions against women and girls in Afghanistan.
Fereshteh Abbasi, the organization's South Asia researcher, criticized the timing of the invitation during a statement in front of the European Commission building in Brussels. Abbasi said Afghanistan is currently experiencing one of the world's most severe human rights crises.
According to Abbasi, the Taliban delegation was invited to Brussels next week to discuss the issue of deporting migrants. Abbasi argued that this undermines the international community's commitment that no one should be returned to a place where they face risks of torture, ill-treatment, or serious harm.
Objection to the Deportation Agreement
A representative of Human Rights Watch also criticized Europe's migration agreements with the Taliban. Abbasi stated that such cooperation paves the way for the forced return of Afghan migrants and that the country is completely unsafe.
Abbasi further noted that the organization has documented cases where forcibly returned individuals have been arbitrarily detained and tortured by the Taliban. The organization called on European Union member states to halt deportations to Afghanistan.
Expanding Contacts in Europe
The report indicated that Taliban delegations have previously engaged in contacts in Norway, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland aimed at facilitating the return of migrants to Afghanistan. It was also confirmed that the European Commission will soon host a Taliban delegation in Brussels.
The Afghan diaspora and human rights organizations warn that officially hosting Taliban delegations in Europe could grant the group political legitimacy. These groups argue that the denial of women's rights to education and work, oppression of ethnic and religious communities, and restrictions on media and public spaces should not be ignored.
It is also recalled that access to independent information in Afghanistan is severely restricted, making it difficult to obtain publicly available data on human rights violations. Human Rights Watch's statement has reopened the debate on the legal and moral consequences of Europe's contacts with the Taliban.
