This week, all the western media are focused on the situation in Afghanistan with the Talibans quickly taking over the main cities of the country.
Very few mainstream media are analyzing the failure of the U.S.A. longest intervention, and in general the failure of the NATO and western strategy. Public debate is poorly reduced to the dichotomy “with the West VS. with the Islamic fundamentalism”.
What is sadly not missing in the European meetings, talks and public statements, is the firm position of politicians and institutions about the need of implementing the well-known deadly strategy of externalization of migration, and the lack of prompt and effective solidarity towards the people from Afghanistan whose life is in danger.
As we all know, the flow of migration from Afghanistan started more than 40 years ago. Afghan refugees represent one of the world’s largest protracted refugee populations: currently, there are more than 2.6 million registered refugees in the world from Afghanistan.
While people from Afghanistan are one of the larger populations in Croatia who have sought asylum in Croatia, in the EU they are the second in number, just behind Syrians.
In 2020, about 70,000 people from Syria and 50,000 people from Afghanistan applied for asylum in the EU. In 2021, the Croatian Ministry of the Interior approved the embarassing number of 9 asylum requests. The local NGO Are You Syrious reported in their facebook posts and repeated clearly in the local media that the Croatian government keeps on considering Afghanistan a safe country, and how this keeps on putting lives at high risk. Activists and initiatives in Croatia have been warning for years that Afghanistan is not a safe country and that it is necessary to provide protection for Afghan refugees. Unfortunately, a complete escalation of the situation in Afghanistan was needed for the general public to realize the scale of the conflicts that have been going on there for decades.
The Croatian Ministry of Interior, as some other EU member states are doing, said that Croatia will take 20 (TWENTY) people from Afghanistan that cooperated with EU institutions.
“In the moment of the political and humanitarian crisis we are witnessing, people from Afghanistan need to be provided with an urgent and humane evacuation and a safe path to protection, instead of continuing to be called illegal migrants” stated Centre for Peace Studies, after reading the worrying public statement by the Croatian institutions.
The situation we are witnessing is the result of long-standing policies in which Croatia has also participated, which is why the Croatian institutions are responsible for providing assistance to the Afghan population. It is not enough to protect only those who directly cooperated with the EU, but all those whose human rights and lives will be endangered – many Afghans have been knocking on our door for years, and Croatia systematically denies their asylum requests and perpetrates violent pushbacks.
The journalist and activist Nidžara Ahmetašević in this article on Kosovo 2.0 makes a really good point and clarifies all these interconnected aspects of the issue: “[…] I hear some countries from the West offering to take people who they consider more vulnerable and to give them temporary protection. Among those hosting refugees will be some Balkan countries […] How will they come and who will support them? Will they be allowed to start a life or will they be treated inhumanely like others who are now on the Balkan route? […] How will this affect all the other people from Afghanistan who are already stuck in one of the Balkan countries, in some cases for years? Stuck in horrific camps in Greece, or at the Lipa camp in Bosnia, near Bihać, where they don’t have enough food or drinking water, and where the migrants are exposed to daily violence, all under the close watch of the EU.
And finally, who can come and who cannot, and who decides?”
We strongly condemn those who still conduct deportations to Afghanistan. Here you can follow some of the latest deportations. Even if Belgium, Germany and Netherlands declared deportations to Afghanistan suspended, we think that this is still not enough: EU member states should immediately and humanely evacuate the area, and provide safe and legal entry and thus protection for all those who are in need of safety!
Few useful information for those who are reading us from Afghanistan and/or have dear ones still in the country, updated on 18/19 August 2021. Thank you to all activists around the globe who are providing support with information and solidarity actions.
The information is collected these days by activists around the globe, and some information could be outdated/in need of further verification. If you want to contribute in weekly updates in support to people from Afghanistan, drop us an email!
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- Reactions to Afghanistan in Europe, Country by Country
- Online safety resources for Afghanistan’s human rights defenders
- Germany (updated 19 August):
- Hotline for updates about the situation at Kabul airport: 030 18172911.
- Lists of the German Federal Foreign Office: For local staff of German organizations/institutions (“Ortskräfte”) as well as Afghans with a German residence permit, the Federal Foreign Office has set up a new e-mail address where cases can be reported for evacuation: 040.krise19@diplo.de. The email must include the following information:Names of all persons, Dates and Places of birth, Passport Numbers, Nationality, Availability (Mobile phone, E-Mail etc.) After sending, you will not receive any email response. If you do not receive an error message, it means that the mail was put through. Only people who are to be evacuated will be contacted. The legal possibilities for people who do not belong to the above group are, unfortunately, very limited. It is currently not planned to evacuate people waiting for family reunification.
- Crisis Hotline of the Foreign Office for Afghan citizens who have worked for German orgs: tel 0049 (0)30-1817-1000 or 00 49 (0)30-5000-1000
- German citizens that are currently still in Afghanistan should immediately sign up at http://elefand.diplo.de
- UK (updated 18 August):
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- ** Already in place is the ARAP (Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy) scheme, which is run by the Ministry of Defence on behalf of the Home Office. This is only for people who worked for the British state and its contractors (Locally Employed Staff LES). Until now people could only apply from within Afghanistan, but the Home Office says they are changing this now. Here are details on the programme and how to apply: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/afghan-relocations-and-assistance-policy/afghan-relocations-and-assistance-policy-information-and-guidance That page links to an online form, telephone number and email address people can contact to apply
- On 18 August the UK government announced a new separate scheme to relocate other Afghan refugees who do not have to have worked for the UK. This “bespoke resettlement route” they say will take 5,000 people this year and 20,000 overall, it is modelled on the previous Syrian scheme.
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- Netherlands (updated 18 August)
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- Eligible for evacuation are interpreters and individuals who were hired by the Netherlands for a long time or had a contract with the Netherlands. Upon arrival in Netherlands an asylum procedure will start. Contact (day and night) +31 247 247 247 or kabul@minbuza.nl. People that are eligible for evacuation to the Netherlands will have to get to the Kabul airport by themselves because there is no way to pick people up in Afghanistan.
- The Netherlands will continue to carry out military evacuation flights for as long as possible. This depends on a safe, stable situation at Kabul airport. That safety is guaranteed by a U.S. troop presence. Once security is no longer guaranteed by the U.S., under current circumstances, there will no longer be opportunities for the coalition to conduct evacuation flights.
- Priorities for the Netherlands are the evacuation of Dutch citizens who are still in Afghanistan, the interpreters who have worked for the Dutch government within the framework of an international military or police mission in Afghanistan and the local embassy staff and their families, and also Afghans who have worked for the Dutch government (including guards, judiciary staff, cooks, drivers) or in the context of Dutch contributions to international military or police missions and therefore run an increased risk. This concerns in particular employees of Dutch development projects, human rights and and women’s rights defenders and (fixers of) journalists.
- Family reunification: The State Secretary clarified that the vast majority of the family members of interpreters already in the Netherlands are also already in the Netherlands. For the family members who have not been able to travel with them immediately, they will be eligible for evacuation. This concerns families of four interpreters. In addition, there are five Afghans granted with a refugeestatus with families with an approved reunification application who still reside in Afghanistan, they too qualify for evacuation.
- People that have an already approved reunification application (approved MVV) or are in this procedure and already did an dna test can contact: nareizigers@vluchtelingenwerk.nl Source: https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/documenten/kamerstukken/2021/08/19/kamerbrief-verbreding-tolkenprocedure
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- France (updated 16 August)
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- How to evacuate to France for those who worked for the French troops and institutions: call the crisis cell/emergency phone number created by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Tel: +33 1 53 59 11 10
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- North Macedonia (updated 19 August)
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- for now, just talking about temporary relocation for regulating visa for USA. Talking about some 400 ppl. Not clear when and how will choose people to relocate
- Kosovo (updated 19 August)
- For now, just talking about temporary relocation for regulating visa for USA.Not clear how many, when and how will choose people to relocate
- Albania(updated 19 August.)
- For now, just talking about temporary relocation for regulating visa for USA. Some sources talking about some 2000 ppl. It looks they’re already emptying large spaces (students dorms) so it could happen pretty soon. Not clear how will choose people to relocate
- Slovenia((updated 19 August.)
- In the news they said they will relocate 2 families who cooperated with Slovenian authorities in Afghanistan.
- Croatia (updated 19 August.)
- In the news they said they will relocate 20 people who cooperated with EU authorities in Afghanistan.
Leaving through neighboring countries:
- India
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- It might be possible for Afghan citizens to apply for a six-month visa for India. Phone number: +919717785379 Email: MEAHelpdeskIndia@gmail.com
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- Iran
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- Consulates of Iran in Kabul and Herat appear to still be functioning and giving visa to Afghan citizens:
- Kabul: Address: Ankara Street, Shirpour Intersection- Kabul, Afghanistan Telephone: (+93) 20 210 1391 – 97 Email: iranemb.kbl@mfa.gov.ir Website: kabul.mfa.ir
- Herat: Address: Amerit Junction, Velayat Avenue- Herat, Afghanistan Telephone: (+93) 40-220 013- (+93) 40–225 821 / 0 Email:iranconsulate.hea@mfa.gov.ir Website:herat.mfa.ir
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- Usbekistan
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- There have been reports that 30-day visas are being issued for high fees to Afghan citizens.
Further information: There is also information collected here, not sure how frequently updated.
