France has begun technical discussions with Afghanistan's Taliban administration over procedures for returning certain Afghan nationals. Pajhwok reported the development on October 8, citing AFP and a diplomatic source.
According to the report, the talks concern Afghan residents without legal status in France whom French authorities consider a public-order threat. A French source stressed that the contacts do not amount to official recognition of the current government in Kabul or normalisation of diplomatic relations.
The French foreign ministry did not comment on some questions concerning the reported arrangements. The report provided no final list or verified number of people to be returned, although one source suggested the figure could be in the hundreds.
The discussions remain preliminary and technical. Legal return procedures, protections for those involved and compliance with human rights requirements have yet to be detailed. The Taliban administration's position was not available in the report.