British and Irish Governments Should Support Refugees from Afghanistan
The scenes in Afghanistan are deeply troubling, and equally as disturbing is the admittance of Governments that not all civilians who are eligible to be evacuated from the country will be, in light of the looming deadline for complete withdrawal of US forces by 31 August 2021.
Whilst a political solution to the conflict in Afghanistan was the only viable option to attain peace, the shameful decision by the Trump Administration to unilaterally enter into the Doha Agreement with the Taliban in 2020 without the inclusion of the Afghan government only served to delegitimise the democratically elected leaders of Afghanistan and impose upon the Afghan Government an Agreement they had not agreed upon. Further yet, the decision by the Biden Administration to uphold the Doha Agreement and rigidly affirm the provision regarding demilitarisation irrespective of comprehensive and timely planning for this action is indefensible.
The United States and its NATO partners should have thoroughly planned for the evacuation of their citizens and those Afghan citizens who are now at direct threat from the Taliban due to their support of the previous government and their assistance to the United States and NATO members in a timely and expeditious manner. The reports of Afghan civilians struggling to be evacuated is further compounded by a statement from the Taliban which makes clear Afghans will be prevented from travelling to Kabul. That reports are now emerging of the Taliban using violence against those seeking to be admitted to the airport illustrates the urgency with which this situation must be addressed.
We are alarmed at the threat to human rights and equality posed by a Taliban-led Afghanistan, not least due to the context of the 1996-2001 period of Taliban rule which saw the horrific misogyny that was imposed upon Afghan women. We are alarmed also at the threat of violence and persecution of LGBTQI persons and note the particular vulnerability they face. We note with concern the statement made by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachlet to the Human Rights Council in relation to the reports of violations of international humanitarian law and human rights abuses taking place in many areas under Taliban control.
It is evident that action to ensure Afghans who provided assistance to NATO forces or the former Afghan Government are safely evacuated required as a matter of urgency. The information provided within the recent report prepared by the RHIPTO Norwegian Center for Global Analyses outlines the deliberate targeting of such citizens by the Taliban, who are actively operating search parties with the intention of either finding those deemed to be collaborators or threatening their families. The report stipulates the Taliban have threatened to arrest and prosecute, interrogate and punish family members on behalf of those individuals who assisted NATO, unless they turn themselves in to the Taliban. That these Afghans who supported NATO efforts and worked for the former Government face a real and clear danger cannot be ignored.
We therefore call on both the British and Irish Governments to accelerate the processing of asylum seekers, and to accommodate the numbers of refugees that are consummate with the wealth and capacity of both of our countries. We particularly call for urgent resettlement for LGBTQI Afghans. We envisage this figure can be substantially greater than the United Kingdom’s plans for resettling only 5,000 refugees in 2021 and the Republic of Ireland’s plans to resettle a meagre 300. These are shameful statistics that betray Britain’s responsibility for those who provided assistance as part of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), and Ireland’s legacy of emigration in the face of conflict, poverty, and famine.
We call on the British Government to rescind its Nationality and Borders Bill, and end its continuing hostility towards migrants, a cruel policy promoted and practiced by successive Conservative Governments.
Further, we call on the Irish Government to accelerate the end of the Direct Provision System, and provide shelter to Afghan refugees in a manner cognisant of basic human dignity and rights outside of this system.
Whilst the Northern Ireland Executive does not have legislative and policy competence for immgration matters, we call on the Executive to emulate the commitment by the Welsh Labour Government for Wales to be a ‘Nation of Sanctuary’ for those arriving from Afghanistan, and to assist those fleeing the conflict in every way they can. Northern Ireland knows too well of the issue of conflict, of the instability and turmoil it invokes, and the need to secure a safe home and should act to provide sanctuary now.
Afghanistan faces severe political and financial instability at a time when it is already experiencing drought and poverty. There are deep concerns as to the prospect of a humanitarian crisis. It is therefore crucial that governments around the world act to ensure the safety and wellbeing of Afghans. The Governments across these islands have a responsibility to act and an obligation under international law to uphold rights, particularly the rights of refugees and asylum seekers. We urge them to acknowledge these obligations, and to act accordingly.