What Happens to Afghan Refugees Once They Flee?

September 24, 2021

People have been leaving Afghanistan for 40 years, hoping to escape conflict, violence, and poverty. The Taliban’s recent takeover has exacerbated the displacement and flight of Afghan people, but where do they go once they’ve left?

A child at an Afghan refugee camp in 2010. . DVIDSHUB. CC BY 2.0

Why are people fleeing Afghanistan?

This year, 20 years after The Taliban was ousted from power in Afghanistan, the insurgent group regained control of the country. On August 15, Taliban forces took Kabul, the nation’s capital, with little resistance. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled the country, and the government collapsed, securing The Taliban’s position of power.

Following The Taliban’s seizure of Kabul and effective takeover of the country, tens of thousands of people fled Afghanistan, fearing their safety under Taliban rule.

Amnesty International reports that at present, there are over 2.6 million registered refugees from Afghanistan worldwide and more who haven’t been registered or who are asylum seekers (meaning they haven’t yet been legally recognized as refugees). People began leaving Afghanistan forty years ago, seeking refuge from conflict, violence and poverty. However, the recent Taliban takeover has escalated the amount of violence faced by people in Afghanistan and raised human rights concerns, especially over the treatment of women and girls.

The United Nations Refugee Agency predicts that up to half a million people could flee Afghanistan by the end of the year. As many as 125,000 people fled between August 16 and 26 during a multinational evacuation effort led by the U.S. military. However, more Afghans are still displaced and trying to escape Taliban rule.

What happens to Afghan refugees once they leave the country?

If Afghans can make it out of the country, what happens next varies. Those leaving via land borders often live in temporary refugee camps, like the ones set up by Iran and Tajikistan.

Pakistan and Iran have been the countries to take in the largest numbers of Afghan refugees in the past. However, this time, officials from both countries have said that they cannot take another large influx of refugees. Instead, they will be expected to stay in camps on the borders until they return to Afghanistan.

On August 16, the UNHRC issued a non-return advisory, meaning that no country can deport people to Afghanistan right now.

Some governments, such as Austria, Poland, Turkey and Switzerland, have made clear that they will not welcome any Afghan refugees and are upping border security to guard against anyone entering their countries illegally. However, other governments, such as France, Germany, Canada, Australia, the U.K. and the U.S., have pledged to host Afghan refugees and asylum-seekers.

United States

Axios reports that an expected 37,000 Afghan refugees will soon be entering the U.S., likely the first group of several. They will be sent to 46 states, excluding Hawaii, South Dakota, West Virginia and Wyoming, with California and Texas receiving the most people.

More than half of the Afghan refugees who have already arrived in the U.S. helped the U.S. officals and their families, some of whom hold Special Immigrant Visas. This next wave of 37,000 also includes many people regarded as U.S. allies, who either have an SIV or have applied for one.

Those refugees who are not eligible for an SIV can apply for other types of relief, such as asylum or a temporary visa. In additoin, they can still enter the U.S., even without a valid visa, if they have applied for humanitarian parole, which allows those facing an emergency or urgent humanitarian crisis to enter the country for a temporary period.

All Afghan refugees are eligible to apply for humanitarian parole and asylum, and they can also apply for a U.S. visa. However, those who have applied for either but have not yet completed the lengthy screening and interview process to receive clearance are being sent to third-party countries before they can enter the United States. Kosovo, Albania, North Macedonia and Uganda have agreed to temporarily host smaller numbers of refugees ultimately destined for the U.S.

When Afghan refugees arrive in the U.S., legal residents or U.S. citizens are tested for COVID-19 and then released to go to their destinations. Those who are not will be sent to military bases for processing, which includes a health screening and services such as help to apply for work authorization. After processing, these refugees are connected with a refugee resettlement agency.

Resettlement agencies, like RAICES in Texas, are funded by the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants. Resettlement agencies, using a $1200-per-person stiped, set up housing, including utilities and furniture, for the refugees, and enroll children in school and sign families up for social services programs such as Medicaid. The agencies also provide job skills training and help refugees with their job searches; they also help refugees adjust to their new homes through cultural orientation programs. In addition, some refugees qualify for monthly cash assistance, which the resettlement agencies also provide.

United Kingdom

The Home Office, the U.K.’s lead immigration department, has announced that any Afghans that worked for the U.K. government or British military can stay in the U.K. permanently. There are currently over 8000 Afghan refugees in the U.K., and many of those who were initially only granted temporary residency can now upgrade their immigration status and find permanent housing and jobs.

Right now, manyf Afghan refugees in the U.K. are living in hotels, but the government hopes to have them resettled more permanently soon. The government has developed two resettlement plans for Afghan refugees—the one currently in progress is known as Operation Warm Welcome, which provides support similar to that of U.S. resettlement agencies such as enrolling kids in school, registering refugees for healthcare and helping them to find housing. The second plan, the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme, is a longer-term plan, aiming to take in an additional 20,000 refugees over the next few years.

The refugees who are not currently eligible for permanent residency can apply for a five-year visa; after the visa is up they can apply for permanent residence.

France

Between August 16 and 27, France evacuated over 2500 Afghans from Kabul, mainly activists. Many of these refugees left families behind in Afghanistan and now worry that they will be unable to reunite. France is notoriously slow at approving family reunification applications, with Afghans having to wait an average of three years before bringing their relatives. France’s president, Emmanuel Macron, has expressed concerns about a large influx of immigrants, saying that though France will continue to protect those who are most threatened under Taliban rule, “irregular migratory flows” need to be stemmed.

According to the European Resettlement Network, refugees who can enter France are granted a temporary, six-month leave to work and receive certain social services benefits. After that, all refugees are required to lodge an asylum claim, which, when approved, grants them official refugee status. After gaining refugee status, refugees may apply for French citizenship.

Challenges

Whether refugees are in camps or have found refuge in other countries, they often face challenges like unsanitary conditions, a lack of food and housing, and harassment from people around them. Though people leaving Afghanistan are safe from the more immediate dangers of conflict and violence, just leaving the country does not ensure their long-term well being.

Organizations like Refugees International and Amnesty International have put forth recommendations on how countries can best respond to the Afghan refugee crisis and better help refugees.

To Get Involved:

To learn how to support Women for Women International’s emergency relief fund, click here.

To get involved with the International Rescue Organization, click here.

To learn more about Afghan Aid, an organization that has been working in Afghanistan for nearly 40 years, click here.

Ways to help Afghan refugees are different depending on where you live, so consider looking into local and national organizations as well.

Nearly a Decade of Strife in Libya

June 26, 2020

After the overthrow of then-leader Moammar Gadhafi in 2011, Libya has been in a constant state of political unrest. Since 2014, the Government of National Accord (GNA) and the Libyan National Army (LNA) have sought control over the country, sparking a destructive civil war. Based in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, the GNA is recognized by the United Nations. Allied with General Khalifa Hifter, the Benghazi-based LNA receives aid from Russia, France and the United Arab Emirates.

Libyan civilians have endured chaos, including shelling near the front lines, injuries from explosive devices and abductions for ransom. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees estimates that 1.3 million Libyans require urgent humanitarian assistance.

Armed Conflict and War Crimes

Weapons proliferation has been a major security concern in Libya, as allied countries provide the GNA and LNA with advanced military equipment. State-provided arms transfers make Libya a volatile battleground. Currently, the country has the world's largest uncontrolled ammunition supply, with an estimated 150,000 to 200,000 metric tons of uncontrolled munitions. Yacoub El Hillo, the U.N.’s resident and humanitarian coordinator in Libya, announced, “The increasing use of explosive weapons has resulted in unnecessary loss of life, displacement, destruction and damage to vital civilian infrastructure.” The Islamic State group has also used the country as a hub to coordinate broader regional violence, further complicating efforts to create a united government.

In April 2019, Khalifa Hifter’s forces attacked Tripoli, resulting in over 1,000 fatalities. As General Hifter continues his campaigns, the International Criminal Court (ICC) warns of potential war crimes, including mass murder, desecration of corpses and kidnappings. In a statement to the U.N. Security Council, chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda accused the LNA of targeting innocent civilians: "Of particular concern to my Office are the high numbers of civilian casualties, largely reported to be resulting from airstrikes and shelling operations. Intentionally directing attacks against the civilian population or against individual civilians not taking direct part in hostilities is a war crime under the Rome Statute. Likewise, the Rome Statute prohibits the intentional directing of attacks against hospitals and other buildings protected under international law, such as those dedicated to religion or education, when they are not military objectives."

Civilian Victims and Internal Displacement

Displaced civilians flee their homes in Libya. Magharebia. CC BY 2.0

Due to ongoing conflict, nearly 400,000 Libyans have been forced to flee their homes and are now internally displaced. According to UNICEF, Libyan hospitals and schools serve as shelters for thousands of displaced civilians around Tripoli. Yet, with military forces continually targeting these makeshift shelters, Libyans face inadequate access to health care, essential medicines, food, safe drinking water and education. School has been suspended indefinitely for nearly 200,000 children, leaving them susceptible to abuse, human trafficking and violence.

Given the lack of eyewitnesses and credible reports, experts can only estimate the total number of fatalities since 2011. Small Arms Survey, a research-based organization, suspects that approximately 27,000 people have perished in the nine-year-long dispute.

Migrants, Refugees and Asylum-Seekers

Migrants aboard an inflatable vessel in the Mediterranean Sea. Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa/U.S. 6th Fleet. Public Domain.

Within this war-torn nation, there are currently 654,000 migrants, refugees and asylum-seekers, mainly from sub-Saharan Africa. Approximately 90% of people crossing the Mediterranean Sea to Europe depart from Libya. Migrants and asylum-seekers who are captured at sea and returned to Libyan territory are detained in centers run by the GNA’s Interior Ministry, where many suffer inhumane conditions including sexual violence, extortion and forced labor. While the GNA manages formal migrant detention centers, smugglers and traffickers run numerous informal facilities. “Those interned there, mainly refugees, keep dying of diseases and hunger. They are victims of violence, rape and arbitrary treatment at the hands of militias,” said Julien Raickmann, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) chief in Libya. Since January, more than 4,000 migrants have been intercepted at sea and returned to Libya, while hundreds have disappeared altogether. Despite threats of detention, migrants and asylum-seekers still venture to Libya, hoping to reach Europe.

Humanitarian Relief

After nine years of instability, thousands of Libyan civilians and migrants face displacement, malnutrition and violence. The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) launched the 2020 Humanitarian Response Plan, which pledges $115 million in relief efforts. Protection is at the core of this plan, as well as the provision of food, shelter, health care, water and sanitation. The U.N.’s refugee agency, UNHCR, will also work at 12 disembarkation points in Libya to aid and protect migrants, refugees and asylum-seekers. At detention centers, they will provide humanitarian assistance and mitigate maltreatment. These organizations seek durable solutions to prevent another decade of turmoil.

Shannon is a Journalism major at the University of Georgia, minoring in English and Spanish. As a fluent Spanish speaker, she is passionate about languages, cultural immersion, and human rights activism. She has visited seven countries and thirty states and hopes to continue traveling the world in pursuit of compelling stories.

Bringing Humanity to Asylum Seekers' Journey

January 7, 2020

“Sra. Sánchez in 2019.” Teresa Borden. *Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights*

Sra. Sánchez’s Albergue del Jesus el Buen Pastor has offered medical care and support to asylum seekers who have fallen ill or become injured during the dangerous trek to the U.S. Sánchez aids hundreds of individuals each month, and for her service has been recognized by a number of human rights organizations.

Albergue del Jesus el Buen Pastor has become a home, albeit temporarily, to asylum seekers fleeing violence in Central America. The shelter has taken on many roles since its inception in the early 1990s under its matriarch, Olga Sánchez Martínez: shelter, clinic, and food pantry, serving between 300-400 individuals each month. Señora Sanchez’s shelter is located in Chiapas, a state on the Southern border of Mexico, and notoriously one of the most dangerous and grueling legs for asylum seekers traveling North. Much of Chiapas is controlled by Mara Salvatrucha, a gang that originated in Los Angeles in the 1980s, and has spread throughout the Western Hemisphere. MS’s brutality only aggravates the plight faced by those attempting the journey North.

The most common route for asylum seekers is on top of La Bestia, the Beast, or La Tren de la Muerte, the Death Train, two terms for the series of trains that run from Southern Mexico to its northern border with the United States. The majority have attempted the 1450-mile journey through Mexico multiple times. A large percentage of those who seek asylum are children, unaccompanied by their parents, many of whom have already reached the United States in search of work in order to better support their relatives in Central America. Remittances, money sent to the home country from relatives living in a different nation, made up 20% of the respective GDPs of Honduras and El Salvador in 2018, as well as 12.2% of Guatemala’s GDP--the three countries with the highest rates of emigration to the U.S. Consequently, although the journey is risky, it has become crucial to the survival not only of families living within these countries, but also to the economies of each country.

Riding on top of the train is incredibly treacherous. Beyond the risk of falling, many are injured, or lose limbs attempting to jump onto and off of moving train cars. There exists a constant danger of being beaten and robbed by gang members and lone criminals, who prey especially on women and children, or those traveling alone. Being apprehended by la migra, Mexico’s immigration police, or the local police within each state, is a perpetual danger for asylum seekers. Mexican immigration authorities have established checkpoints, and infiltrate trains, posing as migrants, in an effort to stem the flow of immigration. However, corruption abounds in Mexico’s police forces: asylum seekers and their relatives frequently face extortion from authorities. Mexico’s government has been making efforts towards curbing corruption. Yet, many incidents go unreported, and hostility towards Central American migrants often overwhelms the impetus to punish corruption.

Amid the uncertainty and fear, Olga Sánchez Martínez’s shelter provides a glimmer of humanity. Much of her work is centered on nursing sick and injured individuals; she has helped dozens of migrants who have lost limbs secure prosthetics, each costing thousands of dollars. Señora Sanchez’s work is driven by her own health history; she suffered throughout her early life due to an infection she experienced at the age of 7, and was later diagnosed with cancer. Following her recovery, she dedicated her life to the service of others. On top of the prosthetics, she secures blood donations—and herself donates blood whenever possible—as well as medicine for those in need. About Sanchez, one of the shelter volunteers writes, “She is a great woman, an example for human beings and it is surprisingly incredible to listen to all of her experiences.” For her indispensable presence in the lives of thousands of asylum seekers, Olga Sánchez Martínez received the Unsung Heroes of Compassion Award in 2009, Mexico’s National Award for Human Rights, and was named Annunciation House’s Voice of the Voiceless in 2016.

HALLIE GRIFFITHS is an undergraduate at the University of Virginia studying Foreign Affairs and Spanish. After graduation, she hopes to apply her passion for travel and social action toward a career in intelligence and policy analysis. Outside of the classroom, she can be found, quite literally, outside: backpacking, rock climbing, or skiing with her friends.

This Is the Only Shelter for Refugees in NYC

August 15, 2019

Edafe Okporo is the director of the only shelter in New York City that provides housing for asylum seekers, refugees and migrants. He knows what it’s like to arrive in the U.S. with nowhere to go. Okporo left Nigeria seeking asylum after he was attacked by a mob because of his sexual orientation. With the hope of a better life, he came to the U.S., but soon realized he faced another battle. Refugees can undergo harsh treatment, having to navigate complex asylum law and face time in detention centers. Still, he persevered, and built a life for himself. Now, Okporo is helping others do the same.

The U.S.-Mexico border, pictured here from the air, is receiving more attention as Afircan migrants cross it to seek asylum in the U.S. WikiImages. CC0.

African Migrants Journey to U.S. Border in Search of Asylum

July 11, 2019

African migrants, mostly from Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo, are beginning to congregate at U.S. border cities, especially San Antonio, Texas and Portland, Maine, seeking asylum.

Many are flying to South America and joining fellow migrants in traveling well-trodden paths across Central America to the U.S.-Mexico border, since they have been proven to work. Europe has also recorded a sharp drop in the number of African migrants and refugees who have reached its border.

Migrants who do try to make the treacherous journey across the Meditteranean often never make it there. The EU began a regional disembarkation policy last June, which named Libya as the new center for processing refugee and asylum applications for those seeking to leave Africa for Europe. However, asylum-seekers stopped by the EU-trained and equipped Libyan Coast Guard are brought back to civil war-torn Libya. Roughly 700,000 refugees are in local detention centers, facing starvation, sexual violence, and torture, according to Foreign Policy. There is also the possibility of being captured by Libyan smugglers. Many people have either gone missing or died. Official numbers have not been released.

Niger is taking in refugees so they don’t need to stay in Libya while they wait to be fully resettled in a new host country, but is only accepting a limited number of people due to its own low poverty rate. The resettlement process can take anywhere from 8 to 12 months. Often, Africans are finding that it is easier to avoid the Mediterranean altogether, due to the trouble Libya’s smugglers and detention centers can cause. 12 countries have so far pledged to help resettle the refugees, though the U.S. is not one of them.

American border agents first started noticing the high numbers at the Del Rio border station in southern Texas last month. According to Time, the sheer number of people is overwhelming. “When we have 4,000 people in custody, we consider it high,” Customs and Border Patrol’s commissioner John Sanders said, according to the BBC. “If there’s 6,000 people in custody, we considered it a crisis. Right now, we have nearly 19,000 people in custody. So it’s just off the charts.”

According to NPR, one such refugee journey involved a family of six flying to Ecuador and traveling by foot across Central America to eventually end up in the border city of Portland, Maine. They were fleeing civil unrest in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Their destination was a makeshift border shelter—a converted sports arena—that was described as “paradise” by the father. Randy Capps, the director of research for U.S. programs at the Migration Policy Institute, said, "That journey through Central America and Mexico has been facilitated by these large migrant caravans, by more sophisticated and faster smuggling routes, and it's an easier journey from Guatemala onward than it has been in the past."

Once they get through the border station, migrants are brought to relief shelters. Staff have been bringing in Swahili and French translators. Portland city officials are hopeful for the future, seeing the migrants as a necessary part of the future workforce, especially since the city has an elderly population. Still, the influx has stressed the city in terms of space. The converted arena currently houses over 200 people.

Volunteers assist at the shelter, offering food and medical supplies and playing games with the children. Donations of both money and supplies have been pouring in. Maine governor Janet Mills has stated that she wants the state to help out, saying that Maine’s residents have a “proud tradition” of caring for their neighbors.

NOEMI ARELLANO-SUMMER is a journalist and writer living in Boston, MA. She is a voracious reader and has a fondness for history and art. She is currently at work on her first novel and wants to eventually take a trip across Europe.

Asylum Seekers in Tlaquepaque, Jalisco. Daniel Arauz. CC 2.0

The LGBTQ Migrant Caravan that Sought Asylum in the US

June 20, 2019

LGBTQ migrants from Central America seeking asylum in the US faced hardship and discrimination not only from gangs that prey on migrants as they travel, but also from their fellow travelers. They were a part of a “caravan” of 3,600 asylum seekers, that started to journey from San Pedro Sula, Honduras in October 2018, traveled through Mexico, and reached the Northern Mexican city Tijuana, bordering the US, in November 2018. The members of the caravan were escaping all kinds of violence in their home countries of Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador.

The LGBTQ group of the caravan traveled together, in a group of around 80, to provide safety in numbers. They were subject to verbal abuse from all ends, and were even denied food and access to showers by other members of the caravan and other local groups. They weren’t about to receive a warm welcome from the US either, as President Trump frequently targeted the group of migrants during the 2018 Midterm Elections.

Migrant caravans from Central America travel through Mexico in the hopes of passing through the US-Mexico border in search for freedom. Many don’t make it in, and those who do are held at the border.

The migrants were fleeing discrimination and persecution of LGBTQ people in their own countries. They were threatened to be killed or tortured because of their sexuality. They embarked on a journey to the US in the hopes of obtaining a new life, with new opportunities to make a living in a more accepting community.

The LGBTQ group of the caravan stuck together and looked out for each other, for fear of being assaulted. They slept in abandoned, dilapidated hotels rather than outside, where they are subject to more violence. To prevent attacks, human rights workers have sent two people in green vests to travel with the caravan. These groups found the migrants through strong media coverage and decided to help.

They trekked over 1,000 miles in a month. Most of the traveling is done by foot when they are unable to hitch a ride on buses, trucks, or tractor-trailers.

When they finally reached Tijuana, they were subject to anger from the local residents, who were angry that they were staying in a house in their neighborhood.

They waited at detention centers in Texas for a very long time after crossing the border. These detention centers had no experience in housing transgender women. However, recently, it was announced that ten transgender women have won their asylum cases, and were allowed to leave the detention center. The immigrant rights group RAICES helped to provide legal support for the migrants to win their cases.

ELIANA DOFT loves to write, travel, and volunteer. She is especially excited by opportunities to combine these three passions through writing about social action travel experiences. She is an avid reader, a licensed scuba diver, and a self-proclaimed cold brew connoisseur.