Afghanistan refugees in India stage protest; demand refugee cards or resettlement options

As the situation deteriorates in the war-torn country, Afghanistan refugees in India on Monday staged a protest in front of the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Delhi. Seeking refugee cards, resettlement options to a third country and security from the international body and the Indian government. The protesting Afghan refugees including women and children carried banners with the slogan "We want future." 

Head of Afghanistan Community in India Ahmad Zhia Ghani said, "We are gathered here for three of our demands first, refugee cards to apply for LTV ( Long term Visa) in India. Second, resettlement option for that we need a supporting letter from UNHRC so that we can move to another country. Third, security from the Indian Government and UNHRC. We do not have any facilities like education, job."

Afghanistan refugees in India stage protest

While stating that the world is seeing the current situation in Afghanistan, Zhia Ghani asked that the Indian government is rescuing Afghans but what is their future? He further said, "We are here for more than 10 years and we did not have a basic document, UNHRC card." Out of 21,000 Afghan refugees 13,000 do not have documents and are struggling for jobs, education, food and security, Ghani added. 

A 10-year-old Afghan refugee, Zarifa, told ANI, "We came here in 2016. We want to resettle in Canada. I want to study. We cannot go back to Afghanistan. Taliban will kill us."

On the other hand, another Afghan refugee, Masla also told ANI that she want to resettle in America. Masla along with her family has been living in India for the last 7 years. Informing that she and her family does not want to go back to Afghanistan because the Taliban do not want women to study, Masla added, "They will kill us." 

Earlier on Sunday, approximately 300 Indians returned from Afghanistan. In light of the increasing security situation in Afghanistan's capital, Kabul, this was done as part of India's evacuation operation. People involved in the situation confirmed this.

After the Taliban seized control of Kabul, India evacuated 200 individuals, including the Indian envoy and other embassy employees, in two C-17 heavy-lift transport aircraft of the Indian Air Force. Over 40 passengers were evacuated on the first flight, and the majority of them were employees of the Indian consulate. On Tuesday, the second C-17 aircraft evacuated 150 individuals from Kabul, including Indian diplomats, officials, security staff, and other stranded Indians. With US assistance, the mission to evacuate about 200 Indians was completed. According to a conservative estimate, there could be roughly 400 Indians stranded in Afghanistan, and India has been looking into evacuating them, including working with the US and other friendly countries.

Taliban takeover

As US troops retreated after 20 years from war-ravaged Afghanistan, the Taliban launched an offensive taking over cities like Kandahar, Herat, and Lashkar Gah, gradually encircling the government in Kabul. Kandahar and Herat fell on Thursday, forcing government officials and their entourage to flee to the airport to escape the city by air, Mazar-e-Sharif fell on Friday, August 14, while Jalalabad and Lashkar Gah on Saturday, August 15, thereby strengthening the Taliban's stronghold.

The long-standing war in Afghanistan reached a watershed moment on Sunday when the Taliban insurgents closed in on Afghanistan's capital Kabul, entered the city and took over the presidential palace, forcing President Ashraf Ghani to join fellow citizens and foreigners in leaving the country.

(Image: ANI)