RASC News Agency: Tajikistani media, citing government officials, have reported that a refugee camp and disaster victim shelter will be constructed near the Afghanistan border. This project is reportedly funded by the Asian Development Bank. Rustam Nazarzoda, the Chairman of the Tajikistan Committee of Emergency Situations, stated that the camp will be located 50 kilometers from the Afghanistan border.
He expressed confidence that Tajikistan will successfully complete this project. According to Nazarzoda, tents were initially provided in this area for refugees following the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021. The construction of new facilities for refugees and disaster victims has already begun and is expected to take approximately two years.
Following the Taliban’s rise to power in August 2021, a significant number of Afghanistanis sought refuge in neighboring countries, including Tajikistan. Under Tajikistan’s asylum law, asylum seekers initially receive a green card valid for three months. If their asylum request is approved, they are then issued a red card, officially recognizing them as refugees in Tajikistan. After the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan, many Afghanistanis fled to Tajikistan, which pledged to provide them with shelter.
Tajikistan views the Taliban as an ethnocentric group and has consistently urged them to treat other ethnic groups fairly and to form an inclusive government. Tajikistan’s longstanding demand from the Taliban has been to establish an inclusive government and respect the diverse cultures of Afghanistan’s various ethnic groups. The Taliban, however, have repeatedly asserted that these issues are internal matters.
