Afghanistan: a year on

Monday 15th August is the first anniversary of the Taliban seizing power in Afghanistan. A year has passed but Afghan people are still in danger. Many are stuck in Afghanistan or neighbouring countries, taking enormous risks to find safety. Many of those who reach Europe are threatened with deportation.

They need to find a way to reach safe ground and to navigate complex and hostile legal systems in countries that were so recently pledging their support.

They need your support. 

Grand statements and little action

When Afghanistan fell to the Taliban, European governments made grand statements about the support they’d provide. The UK was ready to open a “bespoke resettlement route for Afghan refugees”.

However, this support has too often failed to materialise or been ineffective. The routes have been plagued by delays, have overly restrictive criteria and place huge hurdles in the way of people in need of help. The government has since been accused of watering down the scheme.

This has left many Afghans in limbo, often facing tremendous danger. In the first three months of 2022, people fleeing Afghanistan were the biggest group crossing the English Channel.

Legal support - a lifeline

When it’s hostile legal systems that people are up against, high quality legal support is essential. Too often people are denied justice because they can’t get the legal support they need. 

At RLS, we provide legal advice, support and information to Afghans in Greece, France, the UK and those still stranded in Afghanistan and neighbouring countries. 

Our support can be the difference between people finding safety or not. 

You can make a difference by donating today

We need to raise £10,000 to continue providing this vital legal lifeline. This funding will allow us to help people seeking asylum from countries all over the world, including Afghanistan. Can you help? 

Just £20 can be enough to respond to somebody who needs our help.

Lives at risk - what Afghan people are up against

• Struggles to leave the region: even those who are eligible for European schemes struggle to leave Afghanistan and the neighbouring countries. The people we help are often forced into hiding or take perilous journeys with few resources 

• Threatened with deportation upon reaching Europe: if people make it to Europe, Greece is often the first place that they land. Here, before their asylum claim is examined, they're threatened with removal to Turkey. If they get past this hurdle, they have little access to housing and basic services and face long waits to lodge asylum claims. Many live with the constant fear of being returned to Afghanistan 

• Inaccessible asylum schemes in Western Europe: in the UK, the schemes set up for Afghans aren't working. This leaves people in limbo, often with whole families trying to get by in a new country while crammed into asylum hotels

Help at every stage of the journey

These journeys are incredibly challenging and are legally complex. People need help along the way and we're working with clients at every stage of this journey.  With your help we can help people to find safety. 

We know how hard things are for many people at the moment. Any help is hugely appreciated. 

Thank you,

Nick, the RLS team and those we support

Photo credit: @bookerphotos