A Taliban flag in Sangin District main market in Helmand Province of Afghanistan. File
| Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto
A delegation from the Afghan Taliban is travelling to Brussels on Tuesday (June 23, 2026) for closed-door talks with European Union staff, expected to focus on deportations, said a Taliban official.
Rights groups said the meeting undercuts the EU’s human rights obligations and could endanger people in Europe and Afghanistan.
Belgium issued 24-hour visas to the Taliban delegation, which includes New Zealand-born Abdul Qahar Balkhi, a spokesperson for the Taliban’s Foreign Ministry.
Published – June 23, 2026 03:58 pm IST
