European Parliament to Hold Emergency Hearing on Afghan Refugee Deportations Amid Engagement with Taliban

The European Parliament’s Subcommittee on Human Rights is set to hold an emergency hearing on Thursday to scrutinize the deportation of Afghan refugees and asylum seekers from European Union member states. The hearing comes amid mounting concerns over cooperation between some European governments and the Taliban, with the debate expected to focus on the legality and human rights implications of returning individuals to a country where the Taliban remain in power.

The hearing follows the recent arrival of a three-member Taliban delegation in Germany for talks aimed at accelerating the deportation of Afghan nationals to Kabul. German officials have confirmed the delegation’s presence, stating that it is working on the technical arrangements needed for future deportation flights. According to German broadcaster NDR, the delegation was issued 30-day visas by the German Embassy in Qatar and is currently staying at the Afghan Embassy in Berlin’s Grunewald district. The team is expected to travel to Bonn and Munich to coordinate with Afghanistan’s consulates there. This engagement has largely taken place out of public view and has raised concerns among Afghan political and human rights activists, who warn that such contacts could contribute to the normalization of relations with the Taliban regime.

The debate comes hot on the heels of Germany’s recent deportation of Afghan nationals on a charter flight from Leipzig to Kabul, the latest move under Berlin’s tougher migration policy under conservative Chancellor Friedrich Merz. German authorities have maintained that the deportations primarily target individuals convicted of serious crimes or considered security threats. However, human rights organisations have strongly criticised the policy, noting that some of those deported had not been convicted of any crime. The governing coalition has previously signalled its intention to resume deportations to Afghanistan through practical arrangements with authorities in Kabul, despite the absence of formal diplomatic recognition of the Taliban government.

The hearing also comes amid growing criticism from international human rights organizations over European engagement with the Taliban on migration issues. Critics argue that cooperation on deportations risks legitimizing the Taliban without meaningful improvements in human rights conditions inside Afghanistan. This follows an earlier technical-level meeting in Brussels on June 23, 2026, where a Taliban delegation met with representatives of the European Commission and 15 EU member states to discuss the return and readmission of Afghan citizens who do not have the right to remain in the European Union.

The United Nations has repeatedly urged all countries to immediately halt the deportation of Afghan nationals, warning that people returned to Afghanistan face serious risks, including persecution, retaliation, arbitrary detention and other human rights abuses under Taliban rule. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk has warned that the “involuntary return to Afghanistan of people at grave risk of human rights violations is contrary to the fundamental principle of international law of non-refoulement”. He has urged states to abide by their international legal obligations and protect Afghans by not taking any action that exposes them to irreparable harm upon return.

According to figures published by Eurostat, 14,270 Afghan citizens were ordered to leave EU countries during the first nine months of 2025, while 340 Afghan citizens were returned to Afghanistan during that period. The hearing in Brussels on Thursday will see members of the Human Rights Subcommittee discuss these issues against the backdrop of the broader human rights situation in Afghanistan, as the European Parliament continues to examine the balance between migration control and its human rights obligations.