IRC: New research reveals the EU’s “staggering neglect” of Afghan refugees
Brussels, Belgium, May 31, 2023 — New research from the International Rescue Committee (IRC) reveals that EU states have consistently neglected the needs of Afghans seeking protection – leaving millions stranded in Afghanistan or neighbouring countries, and failing to provide adequate safety and inclusion for the small proportion who manage to reach Europe.
Since 2021, around 41,500 Afghans at risk have reportedly been admitted to the EU through humanitarian admissions, including through emergency evacuations in August 2021. However, this figure is vastly outpaced by rising needs. The IRC’s new report, Two years on: Afghans still lack pathways to safety in the EU, highlights how many of the schemes set up to bring Afghans to safety in Europe are falling short of their targets.
The thousands of Afghans let down by these schemes face huge obstacles in reaching lasting protection in the EU. These include a lack of transparent information on the safe pathways available, narrow eligibility criteria, often insurmountable requirements to prove their identity and vulnerability, and difficulties in physically leaving Afghanistan or neighbouring countries. As a result, millions remain trapped in limbo in the region or at Europe’s borders – with some being driven onto treacherous journeys in search of safety and protection.
The new report sets out a roadmap to overcome these immediate challenges, and put in place a sustainable, longer-term plan for Europe to welcome Afghans at risk.
The IRC is calling on the EU and its member states to urgently:
- Scale up safe routes to protection, first, by expanding refugee resettlement – EU states should resettle more than 42,500 Afghan refugees over the coming five years – and second, by establishing more safe routes and scaling up those currently in place.
- Ensure access to asylum, dignified reception and lasting support for asylum seekers and refugees in Europe, regardless of where they are from or how they arrive.
- Draw lessons from the response to this crisis, including establishing an emergency response mechanism to trigger and coordinate EU efforts on safe and regular routes to protection in response to future emergencies.
David Miliband, President and CEO of the International Rescue Committee, says:
“This report highlights staggering neglect of Afghans by the member states of the European Union, which puts them at risk at every step of their journeys in search of protection. While some states’ well-intentioned plans to bring Afghans to safety have hit repeated delays and obstacles, other countries have failed to make any pledges at all, or to guarantee adequate protection and inclusion for the tiny proportion of Afghan refugees who manage to reach Europe.
“This August will mark two years since the shift in power in Afghanistan. If EU states are serious about protecting Afghans, they need to urgently scale up safe pathways to Europe, and receive all Afghans seeking protection with dignity regardless of how they arrive on its territory. The EU’s response to more than 8 million people fleeing Ukraine proves that Europe is capable of welcoming refugees in a humane, dignified way. There is simply no excuse for treating Afghans, and refugees forced from their homes elsewhere, any differently. This report provides a concrete roadmap for how Europe can make this a reality and provide a lifeline to thousands of Afghans, in step with its own values and its true capacity to welcome.”
