The EU resettled 271 Afghans in 2022, 0.1% of the 270,000 classified as needing permanent protection.
International Rescue Committee, a prominent charity, has accused EU leaders of “staggering neglect” of Afghan refugees, many of whom remain confined in “prison-like” conditions on Greek islands.
The International Rescue Committee asserts in a damning report that EU member states have “consistently” failed to deliver on legal resettlement promises, leaving many Afghans who reach EU borders “vulnerable” once more.
No Afghans have arrived under a 2021 German programme to resettle 1,000 per month. While Italy has absorbed only half of its promised refugees.
Between 2021 and 2022, 41,500 Afghans in danger were admitted to the EU, most through emergency evacuations in August 2021. While the IRC applauds each of these efforts, they remain woefully inadequate, according to IRC reports.
Since Kabul’s collapse and the Taliban’s rule, certain countries have not recognised Afghans, the research states.
Despite the passage of two years, Afghans remain unable to reach protection in the European Union.
“Trapped in remote and prison-like conditions” on Greek islands. Many are unable to integrate into local communities and suffer mental health issues, the research states.
In addition, the authors discovered that more than 90% of Afghans supported by the IRC’s mental health teams in Lesbos and Athens exhibited symptoms of anxiety and 86% exhibited symptoms of depression in the year preceding March 2023.
David Miliband, the head of the International Rescue Committee, stated, “This report highlights the shocking neglect of Afghans by European Union member states, which places them at risk at every stage of their journeys in search of asylum.
While some states’ well-intentioned plans to bring Afghans to safety have encountered repeated delays and obstacles, others have failed to make any commitments or assure adequate protection and inclusion for the small number of Afghan refugees who reach Europe.
He said the EU’s acceptance of almost eight million Ukrainian refugees showed its capacity.
“There is simply no justification for treating Afghans and other refugees forcibly displaced from their homes differently,” Miliband added.
The IRC research underlines the absence of secure refugee routes but doesn’t seem to reflect Germany’s Afghan assistance efforts.
In March, Destatis reported that 286,000 Afghans registered in Germany in 2022.
However, it has been criticized locally for acting too slowly on its promises.
A refugee with “high hopes” for relocation in Germany took two and a half years, according to the IRC report.
“Waiting for a response was extremely difficult and stressful for me. As I was without my two children in a foreign country whose culture I did not understand. 60-year-old Zahra stated, “I had no choice but to wait and hope that one day I would be able to offer my children a safe life here.”
The IRC encouraged EU nations to “scale up protection pathways” and resettle 42,500 Afghan refugees within five years.
The UK, which is often criticised for failing to implement resettlement programmes, is outperforming several EU governments.
Under two UK resettlement and relocation programs, just under 13,000 Afghans have been granted indefinite leave to remain. According to last week’s updated government data.
