RASC News Agency: The final quarter of 2024 witnessed a dramatic 36% decline in the approval rate of Afghanistani asylum applications in the UK, with over 2,000 applications rejected. Human rights activists have voiced alarm over an increasingly hostile climate for Afghanistani refugees. The Home Office, however, has maintained that “no individual will be forcibly repatriated to Afghanistan.” Recently released quarterly migration statistics, published on Thursday, reveal that the acceptance rate for Afghanistani asylum claims has plunged from 98.5% in the last quarter of 2023 to just 36% in the same period of 2024.
A Home Office document obtained by The Guardian explicitly states:
“The forced or voluntary deportation of Afghanistani asylum seekers remains suspended, with no alterations to this policy.” According to The Guardian, the sharp drop in approvals stems from the Taliban’s refusal to recognize travel documents issued by the Afghanistani embassy in London. The UK, in turn, does not recognize the Taliban as a legitimate government, exacerbating bureaucratic and legal complications surrounding deportation policies.
While some activists have welcomed the reduction in the asylum backlog, many question why applications are being rejected when returning to Afghanistan remains impossible. Louise Calvey, Chief Executive of a UK-based refugee advocacy group, criticized the shift, stating:
“This represents a significant surge in the rejection of cases where the necessity for asylum is indisputable. No rational observer of Afghanistan’s current reality could suggest that sending individuals back under Taliban rule is a viable or humane option.” She warned that the policy would trap thousands in indefinite poverty and uncertainty.
Jamie Bell, a solicitor at Duncan Lewis Law, which represents Afghanistani asylum seekers, condemned the policy shift as deeply alarming:
“The consequences of this change are devastating thousands will be left stranded in a legal void, unable to rebuild their lives. Afghanistani refugees are now facing an increasingly hostile environment in the UK.” Enver Solomon, CEO of the Refugee Council, underscored the human cost behind these statistics:
“Behind these figures are men, women, and children who fled Afghanistan fearing for their lives only to now find themselves trapped in bureaucratic limbo, confined to hotels with no path forward.”
He further emphasized:
“This policy is not only financially burdensome but also morally indefensible. It prevents individuals from rebuilding their lives, seeking employment, and integrating into British society. And for those who may eventually return to Afghanistan when it is safe, this system denies them the dignity and respect they deserve.”
