RASC News Agency: The House of Free Expression has announced that a number of Afghanistani journalists who fled to Turkey after the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan are now at risk of deportation. In a statement released on Sunday, September 22, the organization revealed that it held a meeting with over 30 journalists currently residing in Turkey. The statement expressed the dire circumstances these journalists face: “Journalists who once courageously reported on the developments in their homeland now live in exile, gripped by a profound fear of being sent back to Afghanistan.”
The organization also highlighted key issues these journalists are facing, including the lack of residency permits, unemployment, and economic hardship. Additionally, the House of Free Expression pointed out that even in Turkey, these journalists are being pursued by Taliban infiltrators. The group has urged the Afghanistan Embassy in Turkey to assist in renewing the residency permits of these journalists. Furthermore, it has called on host countries to expedite the processing of their asylum cases.
Countries such as Iran, Pakistan, and Turkey have repeatedly engaged in the forced deportation of Afghanistani refugees. Yesterday, the Federation of Afghanistani Journalists in Exile also called for an immediate end to the deportation of journalists and other vulnerable individuals from Iran. Since the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan, millions of Afghanistani citizens have fled the country, only to face the threat of expulsion from the nations where they sought refuge.
