EU lawmaker: Deportations to Afghanistan a strategic mistake

A member of the European Parliament, Hanna Neumann, has warned that deporting Afghan migrants from Europe represents not only a humanitarian failure but also a strategic error that could have long-term political consequences inside Afghanistan.

Writing on X on Wednesday, May 6, Neumann said that returning young Afghans from Europe to conditions of poverty, unemployment, and uncertainty could deepen instability and increase their vulnerability to coercive structures inside the country.

She cautioned that some returnees could become associated with networks and religious schools linked to the Taliban, potentially increasing the group’s social reach and influence over vulnerable communities.

Neumann further warned that such dynamics could contribute to systems of dependency and social control, reinforcing structures that help sustain the Taliban’s authority in Afghanistan.

She also argued that large-scale deportations risk normalizing engagement with the Taliban at the international level, effectively granting indirect legitimacy to their governance.

The remarks come amid growing debate in Europe over migration policy, particularly in Germany and other EU member states, where discussions have intensified over the return of Afghan asylum seekers despite ongoing humanitarian and security concerns in Afghanistan.

Afghan migration has increased sharply in recent years due to forced returns from neighbouring countries such as Pakistan and Iran, where hundreds of thousands of Afghans have been pressured or compelled to return amid tightening residency and security policies.

At the same time, several European countries, including Germany, have been reassessing asylum protections for Afghans, leading to renewed political debate over deportations despite warnings from rights groups about the fragile humanitarian situation in Afghanistan.

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