Asylum

3 stories

Europe
EU & Ukraine
EU moves to bar newly arriving military-age Ukrainian men from refuge
Brussels wants to extend temporary protection for people fleeing Ukraine until March 2028 but exclude newly arriving men of fighting age who are barred from leaving under martial law. Kyiv asked for the change to ease its manpower crisis, after it let men aged 18-22 leave and arrivals across the EU surged. The plan pits wartime solidarity against migration politics — and would shape who can claim protection in Luxembourg and the Greater Region.
By Léa Hoffmann26 June 2026
Europe
EU diplomacy
EU Hosts Taliban Officials in Brussels for First Time Since 2021 Takeover
The EU held its first talks with Taliban officials on European soil on 23 June 2026, focusing on the deportation of Afghan nationals with no right to stay. The Commission and Sweden co-chaired the closed-door meeting with 15 member states; Brussels stressed it does not amount to recognition, as rights groups warned the engagement risks legitimising the regime.
By Camille Reuter24 June 2026
Europe
Migration & the EU
EU Hosts Taliban in Brussels for First Talks on Returning Rejected Afghans
The European Commission hosted a Taliban delegation in Brussels on 23 June 2026 to discuss returning rejected Afghan asylum seekers, the first time the EU has met the unrecognised government since 2021. Around 20 member states back the push; Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch warn it breaches the EU's non-refoulement obligations. As an EU member, Luxembourg is bound by the bloc's new common returns policy.
By Camille Reuter23 June 2026

EU moves to bar newly arriving military-age Ukrainian men from refuge

EU Hosts Taliban Officials in Brussels for First Time Since 2021 Takeover

EU Hosts Taliban in Brussels for First Talks on Returning Rejected Afghans