Hannah Neumann, a member of the European Parliament, has once again criticized plans by the European Commission to host a Taliban delegation in Brussels, warning that the EU should not sacrifice human rights principles in exchange for cooperation on the return of Afghan migrants.
She said proposed talks risk undermining the EU’s credibility on human rights and women’s rights.
“Those who sacrifice foreign policy principles for deportation deals lose both credibility and security,” Neumann told Euractiv.
She also pointed to the Taliban’s restrictions on women and girls, saying it was difficult to justify welcoming Taliban representatives to Europe while millions of Afghan girls remain barred from education.
“It is particularly cynical given that millions of Afghan girls continue to be denied access to education while Taliban representatives are able to travel to Europe,” she said.
Her remarks came after the European Commission confirmed plans to host a Taliban delegation in Brussels for what officials described as technical discussions focused on migration and the return of Afghan nationals from European countries.
European officials have said the talks would center on deportation procedures, particularly for Afghans considered security risks or convicted of crimes.
Neumann rejected suggestions that the meeting should be viewed as purely technical.
“There is nothing technical about inviting them to Europe’s capital,” she said, arguing that the Taliban could use official meetings and photographs for political legitimacy and propaganda purposes.
She warned that the move could send the wrong message to Afghan women and girls living under Taliban restrictions and discourage civil society activists who continue to advocate for education and women’s rights.
According to Neumann, the implications extend beyond Afghanistan. If Europe appears willing to compromise its principles under political pressure, she said, authoritarian governments elsewhere could draw similar conclusions.
The criticism comes months after the European Union condemned what it described as the Taliban’s “systematic violations” of the rights of women and girls and warned that the restrictions could amount to gender-based persecution.
The bloc has imposed sanctions on several Taliban officials, including their Education Minister Habibullah Agha, over policies that have barred girls from secondary schools and universities.
Since returning to power in 2021, the Taliban have imposed sweeping restrictions on women and girls, including bans on secondary and higher education, limits on employment and restrictions on access to public spaces.