The European Commission has invited representatives from Afghanistan to Brussels for talks on deporting Afghan nationals who have no right to stay in the European Union.
The invitation follows a first meeting in January in Afghanistan, a spokesman for the European Commission said on Tuesday.
The consultations were requested by 20 EU and Schengen countries last year, he said.
"We are also convinced that returns to politically sensitive countries pose challenges that need to be addressed comprehensively and in a coordinated manner," the spokesman said.
The countries behind the push said last year that only roughly 2% of Afghans in the EU who received return orders in 2024 were actually sent back.
Deportations to Afghanistan are highly controversial not least since the Taliban seized power in 2021. The Islamists remain internationally isolated due to their human rights record, particularly its restrictions on women and girls.
In 2024, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled that the Taliban's treatment of women constitutes persecution.
"Every return decision has to be in line with EU and international law, including in particular fundamental rights," the commission spokesman said.
The invitation to Brussels "does not by any means constitute a recognition" of the Afghan leadership, he said.
