The Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, has indicated that the United Kingdom might seek discussions with the Taliban regarding the deportation of failed asylum seekers to Afghanistan, a move that would mark a significant shift in policy since the fall of Kabul.
Ms Mahmood confirmed that the UK is closely observing the actions of other nations, particularly European countries that are reportedly exploring the possibility of negotiating with the Taliban to facilitate the return of individuals whose asylum claims have been rejected.
Data from the year ending June 2025 reveals that Afghans constituted the largest group of small boat arrivals in the UK, with 6,360 individuals making the journey—an 18% increase compared to the previous year.
A key obstacle to such deportations has been the UK government's refusal to formally recognise the Taliban as the legitimate administration in Afghanistan. However, Ms Mahmood did not dismiss the prospect of engaging with the group.
Speaking to reporters from The Guardian and The Sun, she stated: “We’re monitoring very closely what is happening in terms of other countries, whether that’s European partners or others, and conversations they are having with other countries, including Afghanistan.”
She added: “I’m not going to get into any additional discussions that are happening in government – we’ll have more to say about that in the future – but of course we monitor closely and we work with our partners in terms of the efforts that we all need to make collectively to try to get agreements.”
When pressed on whether the UK would hold direct talks with the Taliban, she responded: “I’m not ruling it in or out. I’m not going to give a running commentary on additional conversations that are happening.”
