Fereshta Abbasi, Afghanistan researcher at Human Rights Watch, has said that the European Commission’s invitation to a Taliban delegation to participate in migration-related talks comes at an inappropriate time and sends a “wrong message.” She said Afghanistan continues to face one of the world’s most severe human rights crises, with women and girls subjected to institutionalized discrimination and repression. According to Abbasi, any migration agreement with the Taliban could pave the way for the forced return and deportation of Afghan citizens to a country that is clearly unsafe. She stressed that such a process could conflict with countries’ international obligations, including commitments that prohibit returning individuals to places where they face risks of torture, serious threats, or inhuman treatment. Abbasi warned that Afghanistan has become a place of widespread restrictions, discrimination, and deprivation of fundamental rights for many citizens, particularly women and girls.
