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on condition of anonymity, told The Independent: ‘My child is coming into a world where his mother’s documents are no longer valid and now my child’s nationality is at risk.’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 21:06:48
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Afghan Embassy in London to Close, Leaving Thousands in Limbo
In a move that has sent shockwaves throughout the Afghan community in the UK and Ireland, the Afghan embassy in London is set to close its doors at the end of this month. The closure, requested by the British government, comes after embassy staff were sacked by the Kabul government for refusing to represent the Taliban regime.
The embassy, staffed by representatives of Afghanistan’s former government, has been operating in London since the fall of the Taliban in 2001. However, following the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, the Kabul government has sought to reclaim control over the embassy and its operations. The embassy staff, loyal to the former government, have refused to cooperate, leading to their dismissal and the subsequent closure of the embassy.
The implications of the embassy’s closure are far-reaching and devastating for thousands of Afghan citizens living in the UK and Ireland. Many Afghan refugees, including those who have been evacuated by the UK government, rely on the embassy for essential services such as passport renewals, consular services, and travel documents. With the closure of the embassy, these individuals will be forced to contact Kabul directly, a daunting prospect given the Taliban’s restrictive policies towards women and minorities.
The closure of the embassy has sparked fear and anxiety among Afghan citizens, particularly those who have escaped persecution and violence in their home country. An eight-month pregnant Afghan refugee woman, who spoke on condition of anonymity, expressed her concerns about 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.”
The woman, who has been invited to conferences in Spain but cannot travel without a passport, added, “I can’t go back to Afghanistan as long as the Taliban are there, and now I’m not allowed to leave Ireland.” Her family is scattered in Afghanistan and other countries, further complicating her situation.
The Taliban’s foreign ministry has stated that it will no longer recognize documents issued by Afghan embassies in the UK and several other European countries, citing a lack of “coordination.” This move has been met with resistance from countries like the UK and the US, which do not recognize the Taliban regime.
In the absence of a functioning embassy, Afghan residents, including refugees, will have to contact Kabul to obtain essential documents, a process that is likely to be cumbersome and uncertain. The UK government had evacuated around 25,000 Afghan nationals from Afghanistan in 2021, many of whom require documentation to regularize their status in the country.
The closure of the Afghan embassy in London is not an isolated incident. The embassy has closed its doors twice before, in 1978 following a communist coup in Kabul and again in 1996 during the first Taliban regime. However, the current situation is particularly dire, given the Taliban’s restrictive policies and
**Afghan Embassy in London to Close, Leaving Thousands in Limbo**
Afghan Embassy in London to Close, Leaving Thousands in Limbo
In a sudden move, the Afghan embassy in London is set to close its doors on September 27, leaving thousands of Afghan citizens in the UK and Ireland in a state of uncertainty. The decision comes after the Taliban government in Kabul sacked the embassy staff, who refused to represent the new regime [1[1].
The embassy, which is staffed by representatives of Afghanistan’s former government, has been operating in London since the Taliban’s takeover in 2021. However, the Taliban’s foreign ministry recently 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’ [3[3].
The closure of the embassy has sparked concerns among Afghan refugees and citizens living in the UK and Ireland, who will now have to contact Kabul to obtain passport renewals, consular or travel documents [2[2]. This move is likely to cause significant disruptions to the lives of thousands of Afghans, including refugees, who were evacuated by the UK government ahead of the withdrawal of NATO forces from Afghanistan in August 2021.
One eight-month pregnant Afghan refugee woman in Dublin, Ireland, 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” [1[1].
The woman, who spoke on condition of anonymity, added that she had been invited to conferences in Spain but could not travel without a passport. She is now faced with the dilemma of not being able to return to Afghanistan, where any working woman is not welcome, and not being allowed to leave Ireland [1[1].
The UK government, which does not recognize the Taliban, is unlikely to allow the embassy to reopen anytime soon. This means that Afghan residents, including refugees, will have to navigate the complex and uncertain process of obtaining documents from Kabul, a daunting task given the Taliban’s restrictions on women and minorities.
The closure of the Afghan embassy in London is a stark reminder of the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan and the need for international governments to provide continued support to Afghan refugees and citizens living abroad.
References:
[1] https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/london-afghan-embassy-taliban-diplomats-sacked-b2610827.html
[2] https://www.b
