The Network of Afghan Diaspora Organisations in Europe (NADOE) empathises and commiserates with the people of Ukraine and Ukrainian refugees in Europe. The people of Afghanistan have gone through the same unfortunate tragedy in the 1980s and many other similar tragedies for the last four decades. We have been subject to military interventions, civil wars, and interference by our neighbouring countries in our internal affairs. Hence, no one could feel and understand your pain and what you are going through better than the people of Afghanistan.
NADOE and NADOE member organisations are already actively working to help Ukrainian refugees and Afghan refugees and diaspora who used to live in Ukraine to settle and find shelter in Europe. Given the previous experience of migrations and displacements, the NADOE team and member organisations are sharing their experience with the Ukrainian diaspora and community organisations in Europe to help them support Ukrainian refugees smoothly and foresee and prevent the possible problems that may occur while settling in the member states of the European Union.
Meanwhile, NADOE calls upon the European governments and international organisations, donors, and NGOs not to forget the people of Afghanistan and Afghan refugees. The Ukrainian crisis does not mean that the problem in Afghanistan is resolved. As the situation escalated in Ukraine, unfortunately, the selective humanitarian approach of many European governments and humanitarian organisations was also unveiled. For instance, while the Belgian government has closed the door for asylum seekers from Afghanistan and other countries for the reason of not having reception centers, it turned out that there have been many spaces which they devoted for the refugees from Ukraine. While the Taliban are searching every single house and residence in Afghanistan and seeking revenge, killing people (particularly the ex-army and police officers), the Belgian government decided to halt issuing subsidiary protection to the people from Afghanistan. NADOE is highly concerned about this decision and calls upon the Belgian government to reconsider its decision. The asylum procedure takes years for the people of Afghanistan in European countries. It is a discriminatory approach and the Afghan diaspora, as equal citizens and residents of Europe demand equal humane consideration for the refugees from Afghanistan.
People inside Afghanistan are suffering from dire poverty and famine and the international community is sending money and aid to the Taliban instead of drawing and designing efficient aid programs to help the people directly. The Taliban use the aid money to strengthen their power, train more militias, and use the money to oppress and torture people. Young women are being mysteriously killed and extrajudicial killings and penalizing is a common occurrence. Europe and the European governments should hold the Taliban responsible as they did with the Russian government for Ukraine.
There is a high tendency among the international governments, particularly those of the European Union, to formalise the Taliban, ignoring their brutality towards Afghan citizens, especially the women. The European Union stands for male and female equality, democracy, freedom of expression, and all other individual freedoms recognised in the international treaties and therefore they should not recognise the Taliban regime which does not allow for a minimum of the freedom of individuals.
NADOE stands against all sorts of violence, aggression, and imposed wars around the globe and calls for peace and mutual acceptance.
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