Hannah Neumann, a member of the European Parliament, says that any coordinated return of Afghan citizens to Afghanistan would strengthen the Taliban rather than weaken the group. Writing on X on Wednesday, Neumann said that returning Afghan citizens in coordination with the Taliban contributes to the normalization and international legitimization of the group. She added that authoritarian systems such as the Taliban maintain their power not only through violence, but also through dependency, social control, and the enforcement of loyalty. The European Parliament member also said that deporting Afghan migrants to a country under Taliban rule would not weaken the group, but instead risk further strengthening its power structures. Neumann’s remarks come as several European countries, including Germany and Austria, have in recent months begun the process of returning Afghan migrants in coordination with the Taliban.
