A yr in the past the Taliban swept again into energy in Afghanistan, triggering a mass exodus of Afghans fearing their lives can be worse below the rustic’s new rulers.
What affect did the Afghanistan exodus have on Europe?
The choice of Afghans in quest of asylum within the European Union (EU) greater than doubled the month after the Taliban’s takeover on 15 August 2021, when compared with July’s figures.
That’s in step with knowledge from Eurostat.
Some 6,500 Afghans carried out for asylum within the EU in July 2021, one month earlier than the takeover. This leapt to round 14,400 Afghans making programs in September.
Despite beginning to drop within the first months of 2022, the choice of Afghan nationals making use of for asylum used to be nonetheless neatly above that of spring remaining yr.
How do Afghan asylum claims evaluate with earlier years?
To higher contextualise how america withdrawal and next Taliban energy grasp impacted Afghan migration to Europe, we wish to evaluate 2021/22 with earlier years.
Last yr, the choice of Afghan nationals making use of for asylum in Europe greater than doubled when compared with the previous twelve months.
But it’s nonetheless a long way fewer than programs in 2015 and 2016 when Afghans — amid ongoing instability at house and a resurgent Taliban — joined loads of hundreds of Syrians in coming to Europe. Over the ones two years, greater than 360,000 Afghans asked asylum within the EU.
Where in Europe are Afghans settling?
Looking at the place this contemporary inflow of Afghan nationals has sought asylum in Europe is telling.
Greater numbers carried out for asylum in rich western EU nations, with Germany taking roughly one-third of the bloc’s general (23,940) over the duration from August remaining yr — when the Taliban seized Kabul — and April, the most recent month for which Eurostat has knowledge.
The 2nd most well liked vacation spot used to be France, which won 13,730 first-time programs over the similar period of time.
But there are some notable exceptions.
Not a unmarried Afghan asylum utility used to be recorded in Hungary, Malta and Liechtenstein, in step with Eurostat.
Which nation receives probably the most Afghan asylum requests consistent with capita?
Adjusting the above figures relative to a rustic’s inhabitants gifts a special image.
On that foundation, Slovenia has won probably the most Afghan asylum requests. It has had 128 programs for each 100,000 of the rustic’s inhabitants for the reason that Taliban swept again to energy remaining August.
Up subsequent is Austria at 107 consistent with 100,000 other folks, adopted intently via Bulgaria — one of the most EU’s poorest nations — with 105.
And Germany and France? When adjusted to inhabitants dimension, Germany ranks 9th and France is smack bang in the midst of the leaderboard at 14th within the EU.
How many Afghan asylum programs are approved?
The percentage of Afghan asylum requests approved larger within the quick aftermath of the Taliban takeover.
During the July-September duration, 67% of selections have been certain, when compared with 57% between January and June.
From October to December, the speed of asylum requests granted jumped to 88%, falling to 81% within the first 3 months of this yr.
Meanwhile, Catherine Woollard director of the European Council on Refugees and Exiles, says there are “serious concerns” for Afghan asylum seekers in Europe.
Alongside what she referred to as an “asylum lottery”, with coverage charges diverging considerably around the bloc, Woollard mentioned “one long-standing problem” is that Afghans have to attend for much longer for asylum in comparison to different nationalities.
There have been 97,960 asylum programs from Afghan nationals pending as of April 2022, in step with Eurostat knowledge.
Woollard additionally mentioned that Afghans are “highly affected” via “violence at borders, pushbacks and the other efforts to deny access to EU territory,” fighting them from making use of for asylum within the first position.
“As the response to events in Ukraine shows, Europe can manage displacement crises and support refugees when the decision is taken,” she mentioned, including that the numbers of Afghans coming to Europe have been “smaller [than Ukrainians] and manageable.”
