Hannah Neumann, a member of the European Parliament, has criticised Germany’s policy of deporting Afghan nationals to Afghanistan, describing it as a idea that leaves Europe vulnerable to Taliban pressure.
She argued that convicted offenders should remain in prison rather than be returned to Afghanistan.
Speaking to Afghanistan International on Wednesday, the German MEP said Berlin had yielded to Taliban pressure and warned that she did not want other European countries to follow the same approach.
Neumann also argued that deporting convicted Afghan offenders to Afghanistan would increase the risks faced by women in the country.
According to her, the Taliban would not imprison those deported, and Germany’s policy could expose Afghan women to a greater risk of sexual violence.
She added that deportations to Afghanistan would leave Europe more vulnerable to coercion and blackmail by the Taliban.
Asked why Germany had changed its approach and become the first European country to hold talks with the Taliban, Neumann said Berlin had fallen into what she described as the Taliban’s populist trap.
She said the prevailing view in Germany was that Afghan men convicted of crimes should be deported regardless of the consequences.
Neumann also criticised the transfer of Afghanistan’s consulate in Bonn and embassy in Berlin to Taliban representatives, arguing that the move endangered Afghans who had fled the group.
She warned that it could give the Taliban access to the personal information of Afghans who had escaped their rule.
According to Neumann, this could enable the Taliban to target political opponents even outside Afghanistan, using methods similar to those she said Iran has employed against dissidents abroad for years.
Commenting on the invitation extended to a Taliban delegation to visit Brussels, Neumann acknowledged that the decision had been deeply disappointing for many Afghans.
She said technical discussions should, in principle, take place in Kabul and that there was no need to invite a Taliban delegation to a European country.
Neumann noted that the European Union had set clear conditions for engagement with the Taliban five years ago, including respect for human rights, the formation of an inclusive government, unrestricted humanitarian access and preventing Afghanistan from becoming a safe haven for terrorist groups.
She said all of those benchmarks had deteriorated under Taliban rule and questioned why a different standard now appeared to be applied.
The MEP also said the European Commission, which invited the Taliban delegation to Brussels, had been summoned before the European Parliament to explain what had been discussed during the meeting, what commitments the Taliban had made and what outcomes had been achieved.
