The European Union is preparing to host the Taliban in Brussels for the first time for "technical talks" on the repatriation of Afghans despite sharp criticism from rights groups and signs Afghanistan's rulers are cracking down further on women.The 27-member bloc doesn't recognize the Taliban-led government, but it has scheduled to meet a delegation from the Afghan Islamist regime -- led by Foreign Ministry spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi -- in June, likely on June 22 or 23.The delegation visiting Brussels will meet with senior officials from the European Commission, the European External Action Service (EEAS), and representatives of several member states, including Sweden.
Preparations for the talks have raised major objections from many quarters, especially after revelations in the UN Security Council that nearly 3.8 million Afghan girls remained barred from education and an estimated 250,000 more are excluded each year.An EU spokesman reiterated during a recent news conference that "engagement doesn't mean recognition."But that did little to assuage critics of the meetings as part of initiatives across the bloc to ease immigration and increase returns of immigrants to their home countries."This is a grave mistake," according to Shagofah Ghafori from the Brussels-based independent think tank CEPS."At best, Brussels is kowtowing to narrow political pressures; at worst, it’s normalizing a regime of gender apartheid and terror -- and all in exchange for a short-term 'fix' on migration that comes at the expense of core values and long-term security."Undelivered PromisesThe Taliban seized power in August 2021 as international forces withdrew from Afghanistan two decades after the militants had been ousted from power.Taliban leaders promised Afghans would have more freedoms and rights than under the strict regime that previously held power. But the Taliban-led government has failed to live up to its pledges, cracking down hard on many groups, especially women and girls.
