The European Union held talks with Taliban officials in Brussels in June, focusing on the return of failed asylum-seekers to Afghanistan. This engagement marks a significant shift, as major regional and international powers increasingly interact with the hardline Islamist regime, despite its systematic human rights abuses. The EU's discussions, described by the European Commission as merely "technical," were seen by a Taliban spokesperson as a historic step towards regularising consular relations with EU countries. This meeting, the first formal encounter since the Taliban seized power in Kabul in 2021, sparked outrage among human rights campaigners.
Fereshta Abbasi, an Afghanistan researcher at Human Rights Watch, highlighted the hypocrisy: "You cannot condemn Taliban abuses in one breath and then announce talks on immigration in the next." She warned that such contacts allow the Taliban to tell their constituency that they are now accepted by the international community. The UN, in March of the same year, described Afghanistan as a "graveyard for human rights," citing a "cascade of edicts and laws" that ban women from universities and most employment, deny teenage girls education, and impose strict dress codes. Minorities face persecution, while activists and journalists are repressed.
The Price of Border Control
This renewed engagement by international powers stems from a combination of regional security concerns and, crucially, pressure in the west to reduce what they term "illegal immigration." The strict policy of isolation imposed after the Taliban seized power in 2021 is now fragmenting, with some western commentators even suggesting formal recognition of the regime. The EU's willingness to engage with a regime responsible for such widespread human rights violations underscores the lengths to which Fortress Europe will go to outsource its border enforcement and deter asylum seekers.
Individual European countries have also deepened their contacts with Kabul. In Germany and at least four other western European capitals, key consulates are now controlled by the Taliban, not representatives of the former Afghan government. This normalisation of relations with a repressive regime, driven by the desire to control migration, reveals the cynical calculations at the heart of Europe's border policy. The thousands who die attempting to reach safety are not a malfunction of this system; they are the intended deterrent effect.
Global Complicity in Repression
Beyond Europe, a growing number of countries are renewing ties or scaling up diplomatic contacts. Russia, which recognised the Taliban government just over a year ago, signed a military cooperation agreement in July of the same year. India, Qatar, China, Iran, and several central Asian states have welcomed Taliban officials or opened new channels of communication. Shivam Shekhawat, at the Observer Research Foundation in Delhi, noted the Taliban's confident position, stating they have realised their indispensability for regional countries and have identified how to engage with Europe and the US. He added that the Taliban capitalise on any contact as a diplomatic win, granting legitimacy to their regime.
This global scramble for influence and economic opportunity further entrenches the Taliban's power. Officials from Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan have visited Kabul or other Afghan cities this year, seeking trade routes and pipeline deals. India secured a sanctions waiver in the second year to allow Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Taliban foreign minister, to travel there. China, concerned about Islamic militancy, has hosted talks between Afghanistan and Pakistan and sees the expansion of Afghanistan's mining sector as an opportunity for its firms. Anna Borshchevskaya, a senior fellow at The Washington Institute, described Russia's motives as a "cold, cynical calculation," part of a global geopolitical battle where influence in Afghanistan is a zero-sum game against the US.
Despite internal divisions, the Taliban remain dominated by conservative factions. Recent laws further reinforce repression, designating religious minorities as heretics and imposing strict punishments. Other new laws recognise only "excessive" beating as domestic violence and facilitate the marriage of girls without their consent. Analysts do not believe the Taliban are likely to moderate their position, with the reclusive cleric leader Hibatullah Akhundzada maintaining authority. Ramin Mansoori, a researcher, stated the Taliban's priority is its domestic agenda and they are not going to make significant concessions, as most lack an international perspective. Yet, the EU and other powers continue to engage, prioritising border control and economic interests over the human rights of those suffering under this regime.