Afghan Taliban to Hold Rare, Closed-door Talks with EU Officials on Deportations

A delegation from the Afghan Taliban is traveling to Brussels on Tuesday 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.