Human Rights | ACW | 3 November 2026 — French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez confirmed in parliament on Monday, 2 November 2026, that Paris is holding "technical discussions" with the Taliban de facto authorities on returning some Afghan migrants.

According to AFP and Afghanistan International, Nuñez, answering questions from members of the National Assembly, said the talks aim to deport Afghans who have no legal residence and who, according to French officials, may pose a threat to public order.

Léa Balage El Mariky, a lawmaker from The Ecologists party, accused the government of starting to normalise diplomatic relations with a regime that, in her words, is committing a crime against humanity through "gender apartheid".

Pascal Confavreux, spokesman for the French foreign ministry, had already confirmed the talks in October 2026, saying they were not aimed at deporting asylum seekers or women. The ministry has also said France has had no diplomatic relations with the Taliban since 2021 and that any normalisation depends on compliance with UN Security Council Resolution 2593, in particular the rights of women and girls.

No response from the Taliban de facto authorities appeared in the published reports.

Why it matters: According to AFP, the International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for the Taliban's supreme leader and other senior Taliban officials on charges of crimes against humanity over restrictions on women and girls. The talks come as France itself makes normalisation conditional on respect for women's rights.

ACW will continue to follow this story.

Sources: AFP via Arab News (report); Afghanistan International (report); French foreign ministry via Afghanistan International (background).