Joint statement: One year after the country’s takeover by the Taliban – How did Europe welcome Afghans in need of protection?
ICMC Europe/Share Network and fifty civil society and Afghan diaspora organisations are co-signing a joint statement concerning Europe’s response to Afghans in need of protection and are urging Europe and its member states to respond appropriately and holistically to the crisis in Afghanistan.
One year after the Taliban takeover, Afghanistan is in a state of lawlessness without a constitution. The overall security, economic and human rights situation is deteriorating, and people’s suffering is increasing. Afghanistan’s economy has collapsed, and the country is confronting a dire humanitarian crisis, with 23 million people facing acute hunger. Freedom of expression and movement of mainly women and girls has been severely restricted.
Meanwhile, the efforts of European governments to provide protection in Europe have been too little and have come too late. Instead, efforts have been made to prevent Afghans from arriving in Europe and to reduce protection for Afghan asylum seekers despite their growing protection needs. Afghan asylum seekers are highly impacted by violence at the borders, pushbacks, and use of the “safe third country clause’’.
Shortly after Afghanistan’s collapse, the EU and its MS promised to continue evacuating their local staff and Afghans at risk; however, since then, too little effort has been made to evacuate them to Europe. With some exceptions, the majority of MS have now stopped the evacuation of their local staff and Afghans at risk.
We call on European countries to continue evacuating their local staff and Afghans at risk in a coordinated and safe manner. In particular, it is vital that the EU collectively remains firm on ensuring that Afghans at risk can leave the country, which is one of the five benchmarks in their engagement with the Taliban.
Civil society organisations recommendations to the EU and its member states are the following:
European countries should pledge ambitious resettlement places for Afghans from neighbouring states, including Central Asian countries. In line with UNHCR’s calls on the EU to resettle 42,000 Afghans over the coming five years, European countries should collectively commit to receiving 8,500 Afghan refugees through this route in 2023.
European countries should expand and streamline humanitarian admissions.
European countries should ensure swift and fair access to asylum.
European countries should comply with their human rights obligations.