Malala Yousafzai Criticizes EU Plan to Host Taliban Officials for Migration Talks

Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai has criticized the European Union's decision to invite Taliban officials to Brussels for talks on migration. She argued that the move risks legitimizing the Taliban administration.

Yousafzai stated that the Taliban enforce a gender apartheid system in Afghanistan. According to her, the group has deprived girls of secondary education and forced many into marriages.

The European Union plans to host a Taliban delegation in Brussels on June 22 or 23. The discussions will focus on mechanisms for the return of Afghan citizens. The EU maintains that it does not recognize the Taliban but engages with them on specific issues such as migration.

Yousafzai noted that nearly 3.8 million girls in Afghanistan are currently deprived of education. She added that about 250,000 additional girls are prevented from continuing their studies each year.

The comments come as the EU seeks agreements on migration with the Taliban officials. Yousafzai called on Europe to avoid actions that could provide legitimacy to the group.