Belgium has received the names of the Taliban delegation invited to Brussels by the European Commission, paving the way for preliminary visa assessments, Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot revealed on Thursday.
The delegation has yet to formally request visas, the minister's spokesperson confirmed, but security services have begun reviewing the names provided by the Commission to prepare for potential approvals.
In April, Prévot stated Belgium does not ordinarily grant visas to Taliban representatives. However, he acknowledged an exception under the country's "seat policy", which obliges Belgium to facilitate access to international institutions it hosts.
A total of 20 EU Member States, including Belgium, have demanded practical measures to deport individuals to Afghanistan, particularly those deemed security threats. The initiative was spearheaded by Belgium's Minister for Asylum and Migration Anneleen Van Bossuyt (N-VA).
The planned meeting has sparked concerns among NGOs, citing human rights violations by the Taliban and Afghanistan's dire humanitarian crisis. The discussions would require engagement with Taliban authorities, whom the EU has not officially recognised since their return to power in 2021.
