While the world is still in search of a political solution, people are paying the price.
Most of the Afghans who fled their country in 2021 after the Taliban took over Afghanistan are now residing in Pakistan and Iran with an approximate population of 600,000 and 500,000. These two countries are referred to hosting a substantial number of Afghan refugees worldwide with 1.35 million people in Pakistan and 780 thousand in Iran. Living conditions and treatment of Afghan nationals in these two countries are often dreadful, as they are faced with discrimination and prejudice from the authorities of these countries and have serious problems in accessing basic needs such as jobs, shelter, and healthcare. Additionally, our people in these two countries are constantly subject to the threat of deportation and forced return to the country.
Pakistan is currently deporting Afghans en masse, ignoring repeated requests from the international community to reconsider this decision. Iran also deports our compatriots regularly.
Other countries in the region also host Afghans who recently fled the Taliban, including Turkey (300,000), Uzbekistan (13,000) and Tajikistan (10,000). The situation of Afghan refugees in these countries is equally challenging as they have limited rights, receive minimal assistance, and have no clear path to acquiring citizenship in these countries. Our compatriots are facing deportation in these countries, especially in Türkiye.
Afghanistan’s political and business classes seem to be living comfortably in these countries, with some of them now trying to go to the United States and its allied countries.
India currently hosts 13,000 Afghan students, but the country’s bureaucracy is still trying to find a solution for their residence. Brazil, a country with which Afghans have rarely interacted, has extended a helping hand by offering thousands of humanitarian visas to Afghans. While some of these Afghans eventually went to the United States and Canada, about four thousand still live in Brazil, despite unacceptable conditions.
The United States hosts nearly 100,000 Afghan refugees, many of whom were evacuated by US military aircraft in 2021.
Since then, US and American institutions have been one of the most benign hosts for Afghans in the world. In addition to the United States, the European Union (41 thousand), Canada (40 thousand), the United Kingdom (24 thousand), and Australia (six thousand) have welcomed the Afghans who were recently evacuated from Afghanistan and generally treated them with the same hospitality as the Afghans themselves. These countries have provided equal rights to Afghans with their citizens, including work permits, the right to open a bank account, own a house and car, start a business, travel without restrictions, and facilitate acquiring a permanent residence and finally citizenship. Although there are still challenges, these countries have treated Afghan immigrants humanely.
So, considering the diverse conditions that migrants have in different countries and with little chance of returning home (Afghanistan), what else can be done?
Firstly, the international community should provide financial aid and other incentives to countries that have difficulty hosting Afghan refugees, where Pakistan should be at the top to avoid mass deportations of Afghan refugees in the weeks leading up to winter.
Second, the host countries should prioritize aid so that Afghans can resettle and rebuild their lives in safe and sustainable ways. These aids include promoting education and job training. It seems difficult to conceive that the Taliban will manage the political and security conditions inside the country in such a way that could pave the way for the mass return of all Afghans to the country. Subjecting the refugees to live in limbo will only contribute to local and regional instability.
Third, we should not forget the people who remained in Afghanistan under the rule of the Taliban. They are very likely to join the refugees abroad. The international community should intensify its efforts to safeguard the rights of Afghan women and girls. International actors can collectively hold the Taliban accountable for human rights violations in this context.
Afghan refugees around the world are hoping for a political solution to the crisis in their country that will protect the rights of all Afghans, including women and girls, and prevent more compatriots from being displaced and immigrating. Afghan refugees are unsatisfied with the sluggish process of evacuation and resettlement of people at risk. While the world is still searching for a political solution, decision-makers in the region and beyond must prioritize the needs of Afghan refugees in their respective countries and find smart ways to assist those still at risk.
Sadeq Amini is the director of public relations at the American Foundation for Oversight and Research in Washington, DC. Before that, he was the political assistant of the United States Embassy in Kabul and worked in the Permanent Mission of Afghanistan to the United Nations. The opinions expressed in this article are entirely his personal views.
