The Independent has learned that London i Afghan Embassy By closing Britain And Ireland i Thousands of Afghan citizens are in trouble while embassy staff have been told to apply for asylum or prepare to leave the UK.
The Afghan diplomatic mission is closing at the end of this month at the request of the British government after embassy staff were sacked by the Kabul government after they refused to represent the Taliban.
An eight-month pregnant Afghan refugee woman in the Irish capital, Dublin, fears for her baby’s future after the Afghan embassy is closed.
The woman, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told The Independent: ‘My child is coming into a world where his mother’s documents are no longer valid and now my child’s nationality is at risk.’
He added: ‘My passport has expired and now (with the closure of the Afghan embassy) I will not be allowed to renew it. I cannot go back to Afghanistan where any working woman is not welcome.’
The embassy is staffed by representatives of Afghanistan’s former government, which was backed by the West before the Taliban returned to power in 2021.
The woman claimed that she had been invited to conferences in Spain but could not travel without a passport.
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“I can’t go back to Afghanistan as long as the Taliban are there and now I’m not allowed to leave Ireland,” she said. According to the woman, her family is scattered in Afghanistan and other countries.
The Taliban’s foreign ministry said in July that it would no longer recognize documents issued by Afghan embassies in the UK and several other European countries due to a lack of ‘coordination’.
Britain, like the US and 13 other countries (mostly European states), does not recognize the Taliban and is therefore unlikely to be allowed to reopen its embassy any time soon.
This means that after September 27, Afghan residents, including refugees, will have to contact Kabul to obtain passport renewals, consular or travel documents.
Ahead of the withdrawal of NATO forces from Afghanistan in August 2021, the UK government had evacuated around 25,000 Afghan nationals from the war-torn country, most but not all of whom require some form of documentation.
Exterior view of the Afghanistan Embassy in Ireland in London (Afghanistan Embassy in Ireland/XAccount)
Zalmay Rasool, who represented the former government as ambassador to the UK and Ireland, said: ‘The Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in London is to be officially closed and will cease operations on 27 September 2024 at the official request of the host country. .’
Sources told The Independent that Zalmay Rasool and his staff have been told to apply for asylum or prepare to leave the UK within 90 days.
This is not the first time that the Afghan embassy in London has closed its doors. The Afghan embassy was closed after the 1978 communist coup in Kabul because of its anti-Western bias and deep ties to the former Soviet Union, according to the embassy’s website. The Afghan mission was then closed again during the first tour of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001.
Three years after toppling a Nato-backed government in Kabul, the Taliban have fostered diplomatic ties with several major countries, including China, Russia and Pakistan.
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#Thousands #Afghan #citizens #facing #difficulties #due #closure #Afghan #embassy #London
2024-09-12 21:08:44
Table of Contents
Closing of Afghan Embassy in London and Ireland: Thousands of Afghan Citizens Left in Limbo
The Afghan embassy in London, which has been operating since the fall of the Taliban in 2001, is set to close its doors by the end of September 2024, leaving thousands of Afghan citizens in the UK and Ireland in a state of uncertainty. The embassy, which is staffed by representatives of Afghanistan’s former government, has been told to cease operations by the British government due to the Taliban’s refusal to recognize the embassy’s legitimacy.
The closure of the embassy has sparked concern among Afghan refugees and nationals living in the UK and Ireland, many of whom rely on the embassy for essential services such as passport renewals, consular assistance, and travel documents. With the embassy closed, Afghan citizens will have to contact Kabul to obtain these services, a daunting task given the Taliban’s restrictive policies towards women and minorities.
An eight-month pregnant Afghan refugee woman in Dublin, who wishes to remain anonymous, expressed her fears for her baby’s future, saying, “My child is coming into a world where his mother’s documents are no longer valid, and now my child’s nationality is at risk.” She added, “I can’t go back to Afghanistan as long as the Taliban are there, and now I’m not allowed to leave Ireland.”
The closure of the Afghan embassy in London is not an isolated incident. In recent months, the Afghan embassy in New Delhi, India, has also shut down due to a lack of support from the Indian government and diplomatic pressure from the Taliban [1[1[1[1[1[1[1[1]. The Taliban has also stated that it will no longer recognize documents issued by Afghan embassies in the UK and several other European countries due to a lack of “coordination” [2[2[2[2[2[2[2[2].
The UK government’s decision to close the Afghan embassy has sparked controversy, with many arguing that it will only exacerbate the plight of Afghan refugees and nationals living in the country. The Taliban’s foreign ministry has stated that it will establish diplomatic relations with several major countries, including China, Russia, and Iran, but it remains unclear when or if the UK and Ireland will recognize the Taliban’s legitimacy [3[3[3[3[3[3[3[3].
As the closure of the Afghan embassy in London draws near, thousands of Afghan citizens are left wondering about their future. With the embassy staff told to apply for asylum or prepare to leave the UK within
What services will Afghan citizens in the UK and Ireland lose access to following the closure of the Afghan Embassy in London?
Thousands of Afghan Citizens in Limbo as London Embassy Closes
In a move that has sparked widespread concern, the Afghan Embassy in London is set to close, leaving thousands of Afghan citizens in the UK and Ireland without access to essential consular services. The embassy’s closure comes after its diplomats were dismissed by the Taliban rulers, and Britain’s Foreign Office announced that it would no longer recognize documents issued by the Afghan embassy [[1]].
The embassy’s staff, who are representatives of Afghanistan’s former government, were sacked by the Kabul government after they refused to represent the Taliban. As a result, the British government has requested the closure of the embassy, which is expected to take place by the end of September.
The closure of the embassy has sparked panic among Afghan refugees and citizens living in the UK and Ireland. An eight-month pregnant Afghan refugee woman in Dublin, who spoke on condition of anonymity, expressed her fears for her baby’s future. “My child is coming into a world where his mother’s documents are no longer valid, and now my child’s nationality is at risk,” she said [[3]].
The woman, who cannot be named for security reasons, added that she had been invited to conferences in Spain but could not travel without a passport. “I can’t go back to Afghanistan as long as the Taliban are there, and now I’m not allowed to leave Ireland,” she said.
The Taliban’s foreign ministry has also announced that it would no longer recognize documents issued by Afghan embassies in the UK and several other European countries due to a lack of ‘coordination’ [[2]]. This means that after September 27, Afghan residents, including refugees, will have to contact Kabul to obtain passport renewals, consular or travel documents.
The UK government had evacuated around 25,000 Afghan nationals from Afghanistan in August 2021, most of whom require some form of documentation. However, with the closure of the embassy, these individuals will now have to navigate the complex and uncertain process of obtaining documents from the Taliban-controlled government in Kabul.
The closure of the Afghan Embassy in London is a significant blow to the Afghan community in the UK and Ireland, who rely on the embassy for essential consular services, including passport renewals, travel documents, and birth registration. The embassy’s staff, who have been told to apply for asylum or prepare to leave the UK, will also be affected by the closure.
In contrast, the Afghan Embassy in India is set to resume operations soon, according to the Taliban [[2]]. The embassy had closed temporarily in November 2023 due to challenges from the Indian government and a lack of diplomatic support.
The closure of the Afghan Embassy in London highlights the ongoing challenges facing Afghan citizens and refugees in Europe, who are struggling to access essential services and navigate the complex and uncertain political landscape of their home country.
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Keyword tags: Afghan Embassy, London
