Hundreds Of Afghan Refugees Protest In Delhi, Call For Human Rights Groups To "Protect Women"

Hundreds of Afghan refugees staged a protest in Delhi's Vasant Vihar area Monday evening to express their solidarity with the Afghan community in the country as the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan.

Protest at Delhi's UNHRC

The protest was held before the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in New Delhi on Monday, where refugees presented a list of demands, including refugee cards, resettlement options in third world countries, and assurance of security from the global body and the Indian government.

Seeking assurances of security from the Indian government and the global body, a member of the Afghan community said the refugees did not have any access to basic facilities like education and jobs.

Reuters

Protesters' list of demands

"We are gathered here for three of our demands first, refugee cards to apply for long-term visa (LTV) in India. Second, a resettlement option for which we need a supporting letter from the 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 and jobs," Ahmad Zhia Ghani, head of the community in India, told Hindustan Times.

Posters had slogans such as ¡°the government of India must ensure the safety of all Afghan nationals in India¡±, ¡°reject and resist all attempts to stoke Islamophobia in India using Taliban as a pretext¡±, and ¡°we do not acknowledge Taliban as the ruler of Afghanistan.¡±

Reuters

While the UNHCR office in New Delhi grants refugee status to Afghans and citizens from other strife-torn nations and issues identification cards. However, as India is not a signatory to the UN Refugee convention of 195, Afghans or any group not recognised by the Ministry of home affairs (MHA) would not be able to enjoy the rights given in countries like the UK or US.

Those who are recognised as refugees by UNHCR are issued an identity card, but these are not widely recognised by authorities. The UNHCR also has a resettlement programme which involves providing permanent residence in another country.

Students, women protest

Another protest of students, mostly women, also raised slogans and carried posters demanding support for the Afghan women and children in Delhi's Mandi house. With placards of "Protect Afghan Women", they sought to raise their voices for the women who are on the brink of losing their hard-earned rights.

File

One of the protesters Sadaf told NDTV, "I am here to raise my voice for the Afghan women who are in need. Their voices have been taken away by the Taliban. Whatever promises are made by the Taliban are all false. They are not allowed to work, not allowed to step out of the house without a man escorting them, they are kept as sex slaves, married forcibly. The children and women are the most vulnerable."

Support for Afghan women, children sought

Zara, an Afghan refugee living in Delhi, said, "My family is stuck in Kabul since last Sunday. Every day something new is happening. They (Taliban) are checking houses. People who have been working for 15-20 years with the US have been searched. This is their rule. If they find out someone is working with a foreign government, they will kill them."

Speaking about the atrocities unleashed on her country by the militia, she said, "60% of our people have been working with the US because they have been in Afghanistan for a long time. The Taliban find out about the men and kill them. They then marry the women off or keep them for themselves and kill the children."

Anushree Fadnavis/Reuters

"Every day I get news that either my neighbor has been shot or a relative is dead. How can someone sleep at night peacefully or keep a straight mind when you're waiting for someone to knock on the door and come shoot you in the head?," she said.