The French Foreign Ministry has stated that technical discussions with the Taliban administration regarding the deportation of undocumented Afghan migrants do not constitute official recognition of the regime.
According to Agence France-Presse, ministry spokesperson Pascal Confavreux stated that France does not recognize the Taliban and has no intention of doing so, emphasizing that technical dialogue does not alter diplomatic standing.
Confavreux also dismissed claims in certain French media outlets, clarifying that no Taliban delegation is currently present at the Afghan consulate in Paris.
French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez confirmed on Monday that discussions had taken place to facilitate the deportation process, following initial reports by AFP in early October quoting French diplomatic sources.
France has joined around 20 European Union member states, including Germany, Belgium, and Sweden, seeking to accelerate the return of undocumented Afghans, particularly individuals with criminal convictions. A similar meeting in Brussels last June between a Taliban delegation and officials from 15 EU countries faced strong backlash from human rights groups and European lawmakers.
Humanitarian organizations have raised deep concerns regarding these deportations. In September, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk criticized international inaction over worsening human rights abuses in Afghanistan and urged an immediate halt to forced returns, pointing to sweeping restrictions imposed by the Taliban, including the ban on girls' secondary education.
Source: AFP
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