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KABUL: The International Rescue Committee has blasted European Union leaders for ignoring tens of thousands of Afghan refugees who have fled Afghanistan and are drowning in oblivion across Europe, two years after the Taliban rode to power.
Only 271 Afghan refugees had been resettled in the EU last year, representing 0.1 percent of the 270,000 Afghans qualifying for permanent protection, said International Rescue Committee in a report on Wednesday.
The report highlights staggering neglect of Afghans by the member states of the European Union, which puts them at risk at every step of their journeys in search of protection.
Afghans now represent the third largest refugee population globally, with millions forced to flee their homes, often relying on dangerous routes.
The Head of the International Rescue Committee, David Miliband, said: “This report highlights staggering neglect of Afghans by the member states of the European Union, which puts them at risk at every step of their journeys in search of protection.
Efforts to resettle Afghan refugees in Europe remained vastly insufficient, the report found, adding that “many promised admission schemes have yet to materialise at scale”.
Many refugees were trapped in “prison-like” conditions on Greek islands, the report said – claiming that EU member states had failed to deliver on legal resettlement promises.
It also said that no Afghans had arrived under a scheme established in Germany in 2021 to resettle up to 1,000 Afghans a month, while Italy took just half of the refugees it promised.
In addition, Afghans in need were also facing barriers to fair and full asylum procedures, the threat of forcible returns, as well as long periods in undignified detention-like centres upon arrival in Europe.
“While some states’ well-intentioned plans to bring Afghans to safety have hit repeated delays and obstacles, other countries have failed to make any pledges at all, or to guarantee adequate protection and inclusion for the tiny proportion of Afghan refugees who manage to reach Europe.”
