EU migration cooperation with Taliban should not become a political concession, MEP warns
Alessandra Moretti, a member of the European Parliament, has warned that European Union cooperation with the Taliban administration on migration must not lead to political concessions or amount to legitimising the group, because, she said, Afghanistan’s human rights and economic situation does not allow for the safe return and reintegration of refugees.
Speaking on Thursday, 23 Mehr, at a meeting with members of the European Parliament in Brussels, she said the European Commission should not turn migration cooperation into a tool for securing the political interests of the Taliban administration.
Her remarks came after a Taliban delegation visited Brussels. The delegation held talks with European officials in Saratan on the return of Afghan refugees, a trip that drew widespread criticism because of the invitation extended to representatives of the Taliban administration.
Moretti said that even in the case of returning people accused or convicted of serious crimes, Afghanistan’s human rights and economic situation must be taken into account. She added that the country’s current conditions do not provide for the safe return and reintegration of refugees.
The European Parliament member also accused the Taliban administration of restricting the fundamental rights and freedoms of Afghan citizens, saying that dozens of decrees issued by the administration have deprived women and girls of their basic rights and removed legal frameworks that guarantee people’s rights.
